SANTA MONICA, Calif. (March 5, 2015) – The action-packed lineup for “Bellator MMA: Brooks vs. Jansen” continues to fill, and the latest round of additions includes a key lightweight matchup between two international contenders with a combined 50 career victories, as well as four intriguing preliminary contests.

The new matchups include a main-card lightweight contest of Marcin Held (20-3) vs. Alexander “Tiger” Sarnavskiy (30-2), as well as preliminary bouts of bantamweights Jared “The Jackhammer” Papazian (18-11) vs. Raja Shippen (14-9-1), middleweights Joey “Mexicutioner” Beltran (15-11) vs. Brian “The Professional Predator” Rogers (11-7), lightweights Saad “Assassin” Awad (17-6) vs. Rob “C4” Sinclair (12-2) and flyweights Jonathan Santa Maria (3-0) vs. Steve Ramirez (0-1).

“Bellator: Brooks vs. Jansen” takes place on Friday, April 10, at Bren Events Center in Irvine, Calif. The night’s televised main card, featuring Bellator MMA Lightweight World Champion Will Brooks vs. top contender Dave Jansen, airs live on Spike TV (9 p.m. ET), while preliminary bouts stream live on Spike.com (7 p.m. ET).

Tickets for “Bellator: Brooks vs. Jansen,” which start at just $38, are already on sale at Bellator.com and Bren.UCI.edu

The 23-year-old Held, a native of Tychy, Poland, is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who boasts one of the most dangerous submission games in the world. A former no-gi grappling world champion, Held has been competing in mixed martial arts professionally since 2008 and has earned 11 of his 20 career wins by tapout. With just one loss in his past 11 appearances, Held owns Bellator MMA wins over Patricky Pitbull, Nate Jolly, Derek Anderson, Rodrigo Cavalheiro, Ryan Healy, Rich Clementi, Murad Machaev, Derrick Kennington and Phillipe Nover.

The 26-year-old Sarnavskiy, from Omsk, Russia, has an equally impressive record and has earned the rank of Master of Sport in hand-to-hand combat. A seven-time Bellator MMA veteran, Sarnavskiy is currently enjoying a five-fight winning streak and is 10-1 in his past 11 appearances. In his 30 career victories, 25 have come by stoppage, including 18 submissions and seven knockouts.

Papazian, of West Hills, Calif., is a seven-year veteran of the sport who has been training in martial arts since he was just 6 years old. A former King of the Cage flyweight champion, Papazian is 3-1 in his past four outings. He faces Shippen, of Lake Forest, Calif. A Reign Training Center product, Shippen is 11-1 in his past 12 appearances and has earned 13 of his 14 career wins by stoppage, including five knockouts and eight submissions.

The hard-hitting Beltran, of San Diego, Calif., Beltran is a three-time Bellator MMA veteran and former light heavyweight who now makes his first appearance in the middleweight divisions. A slugger by trade, 11 of Beltran’s 15 career wins have come by way of knockout. He now meets fellow knockout artist Rogers, of Denver, Colo. With nine Bellator MMA appearances to his name, Rogers also prefers to stand and bang and has earned nine of his 11 career wins with strikes.

Awad, of San Bernadino, Calif., is a Millennia MMA product who owns five wins under the Bellator MMA banner, four of which have come by stoppage. Fourteen of his 17 career wins have come by stoppage, including seven knockouts and seven submissions. He faces Sinclair, of Manchester, England, who is 8-1 in his past nine appearances. Ten of Sinclair’s 12 career wins have come by way of finish, including nine knockouts, and he now makes his Bellator MMA debut.

Santa Maria, of Whittier, Calif., is a Reign Training Center fighter who made his professional debut in March 2014 and has already picked up three victories, including a November win under the Bellator MMA banner. He now faces Ramirez, of Corona, Calif., who suffered a split-decision loss in his professional debut and now hopes to earn his first official career victory.

Additional contests, including one more main-card matchup, will be announced shortly

“Bellator: Brooks vs. Jansen” – Friday, April 10, Bren Events Center, Irvine, Calif.

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)

Bellator Lightweight Title Fight: Champ Will Brooks (15-1) vs. Dave Jansen (20-2)
Bellator Middleweight Feature Fight: Rafael Carvalho (10-1) vs. Joe Schilling (2-3)
Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Marcin Held (20-3) vs. Alexander “Tiger” Sarnavskiy (30-2)

Preliminary Card (7 p.m. ET)

Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: Jared Papazian (18-11) vs. Raja Shippen (14-9-1)
Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: Joey Beltran (15-11) vs. Brian Rogers (11-7)
Bellator Lightweight Prelim Fight: Saad Awad (17-6) vs. Rob Sinclair (12-2)
Bellator Flyweight Prelim Fight: Jonathan Santa Maria (3-0) vs. Steve Ramirez (0-1)

About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike TV:
Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

LOS ANGELES (March 5) – Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz Jr. and the undefeated stars of
LA FIGHT CLUB’S premiere event hosted a special Los Angeles media workout on Wednesday, March 4 in anticipation of their March 6 bouts. LA FIGHT CLUB will be featured as part of the popular, fan-favorite Golden Boy Live! series on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes and is set to premiere on Friday, March 6 live from The Belasco Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

In attendance, televised fighters Christian “Chimpa” Gonzalez, Santiago “El Lobito” Guevara, Carlos “The Solution” Morales, and Irish middleweight prospect Jason Quigley all shared about their upcoming bouts. Other rising stars featured in the non-televised undercard in attendance at the media work out included Roy “Pitbull” Tapia, Cesar “The Great” Quiñonez, Jesus Delgadoand Emilio Sanchez.

As previously announced, tickets for the premiere event of LA FIGHT CLUB are sold out. Fight fans will still have the opportunity to watch the live telecast on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes (10:00 p.m, ET / 7:00 p.m. PT) and are welcome to join the fighters post fight at The Belasco Theater when it converts into a night club. Upcoming events for LA FIGHT CLUB are scheduled to take place the first Thursday of every month on April 2, May 7 and June 4.

Below is what the fighters had to say during the media workout at Azteca Boxing Club in the City of Bell:

JOSEPH “JO JO” DIAZ JR., Super Bantamweight Prospect:

“I am very excited to be headlining LA FIGHT CLUB. I know this is the first of many LA shows and I am glad I was part of the first one.

“I am looking forward to fight night, I am ready and I am confident. I am going to give Los Angeles a great show.”

CHRISTIAN “CHIMPA” GONZALEZ, Super Featherweight Prospect:
“I’ve been training for seven weeks now and I feel great, I am on weight and ready to go for Friday night. I’m most excited about the atmosphere that will be at The Belasco since it is sold out, and of course because it’s my first time on TV in the U.S. I’m very excited.”

SANTIAGO “EL LOBITO” GUEVARA, Super Featherweight Prospect:

“For this training camp, we have been working on a lot of conditioning, strength and speed. Winning this match would be a door opener. I would love to fight on this series every month, keep showing fans in LA who I am.”

Carlos “The Solution” Morales, Super Featherweight Prospect:

“I feel good. I’m excited and ready to fight on Friday night. Santiago is a solid opponent, I am sure it’s going to be a great fight. I am really looking forward to being on TV for the first time and that motivates me. This is what I do for a living. I am always in shape I am always ready.”

Jason Quigley, Middleweight Prospect:

“My training camp started in early January. I have been working on inside fighting, head movements and grinding down my opponents. I know my opponent is coming to fight, and it will be one hell of fight for sure.”

Roy “Pit Bull” Tapia, Super Bantamweight Prospect:

“I have had eight weeks of training: strength condition, running stairs, hills and trails. I am going to go in the ring, keep my hands up and put pressure on my opponent. This fight represents the next step for me, a win and a good show on March 6 can move me up to the televised portion of the card. That is the goal.”

Cesar “The Great” Quiñonez, Super Lightweight Prospect:

“I feel really good, I’ve been training hard and I’m ready to give Los Angeles a great show and display my talents. I just want to display my craft and show that I can box; hit and not get hit, that’s the key. Fernando [Vargas] always tells me to be conscious of my hands are low and to touch my temples every time both my hands are up.”

Jesus Delgado, Lightweight Prospect:

“I just want to give a good fight and come out with a win. I want to look impressive. I am not worried about my opponent, I am confident and ready. I feel good, and I can’t wait to fight in front of my family and friends.”

Emilio Sanchez, Super Bantamweight Prospect:
“Training has gone good, I’ve been training hard and I’m already on weight. I’m going to use my jab to open up my opponent’s defense and focus on hitting the body and get the win. I’m looking forward to fighting in front of all the LA fans at the sold out crowd. I’m excited to give a great show and to have a lot of support from my family and friends.”

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LA FIGHT CLUB: Diaz vs. Hernandez is a 10-round super bantamweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Mexico – Live It To Believe It!. Doors open at 5:00 p.m., and the first bout begins at 5:30 p.m. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT.

The LA FIGHT CLUB is a monthly boxing series premiering March 6 and will take place on the first Thursday of each month on April 2, May 7 and June 4. It will showcase the brightest stars in the sport and present these exciting matchups in a nightclub atmosphere with an original setup. The boxing ring will be set on the main floor of the Belasco Theater with on-camera standing room for fans in front of the ring similar to a concert pit, as well as reserved balcony and floor seats. Los Angeles’ own DJ Ray of Big Boy’s Neighborhood will spin music during the fights and fans will be able to dance and mingle with the fighters when the venue converts into a night club, in a VIP experience not matched by any promoter in the industry.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.belascous.com, www.FOXSports.com/FOXSports1, www.FOXDeportes.com, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @FoxSports, @FoxSports1, @FoxDeportes, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/ TheBelascoLA, www.facebook.com/FOXDeportes, visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing and @belascola and follow the conversation using #LAFIGHTCLUB.

6 March 2015 – Manila: Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization with a 90% market share, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has announced two additional bouts for ONE: VALOR OF CHAMPIONS. In the co-main event, Filipino superstar Mark Striegl will make his promotional debut when he takes on the undefeated Casey Suire. Accomplished kickboxer Eugene Toquero also returns to action when he faces Indonesia’s Brianata Rosadhi. ONE: VALOR OF CHAMPIONS will be headlined by a ONE Welterweight World Championship bout between incumbent champion Ben Askren and the number one contender, Luis Santos.

Tickets for ONE: VALOR OF CHAMPIONS are available now at www.smtickets.com. Ticket categories begin with the full Red Carpet and cageside experience for VVIPs at PHP5380. Tickets priced at PHP3180, PHP1280, PHP640 and PHP220 are also available. Early bird promotions for Gold, Silver and Bronze categories are available until 20 April. Prices include ticketing fee.

CEO OF ONE Championship, Victor Cui, stated, “ONE: VALOR OF CHAMPIONS is set to be the biggest sporting event to be held in the Philippines this year. Mark Striegl is a Filipino MMA superstar who has proven that he has what it takes to compete with the best in the world. He now tests himself against the best in the world in ONE Championship’s stacked Bantamweight division, beginning with the undefeated Casey Suire. Both mixed martial artists are known for their exciting styles. Get set for a night of adrenaline pumping mixed martial arts action as ONE Championship goes live around the world on 24 April!”

Mark Striegl is a Filipino mixed martial arts superstar who has found success in every promotion he has competed in. Striegl has a proven grappling pedigree, and has won eleven of his bouts by submission. Striegl will be making his ONE debut in the bantamweight division after exploding onto the MMA scene with twelve straight wins in the featherweight division.

Casey Suire is an undefeated mixed martial artist currently training in Indonesia. He has finished all of his opponents, with the majority of them being submission victories. Suire currently trains with fellow undefeated mixed martial artist Fransino Tirta. Suire has knocked down all challenges put in front of him thus far, but faces his toughest test yet as he takes on the popular Filipino star, Striegl, in his hometown.

Eugene Toquero is an accomplished kickboxer who has impressed since making his debut in ONE Championship in 2013. Toquero’s charisma and energy has charmed mixed martial arts fans in Asia and his performances have been impressive as well. He notched his most notable victory the last time he stepped into the ONE Championship cage when he defeated rising prospect Gianni Subba convincingly.

Brianata Rosadhi is a Wushu and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner who will be making his return to ONE Championship. He has won multiple regional titles in Wushu Hailing from East Java, Rosadhi is one of the top mixed martial artists emerging from Indonesia and will look to notch his first win in ONE Championship when he takes on Toquero.

For more updates on ONE Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow Twitter and Instagram @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA

About ONE
With a 90%+ market share in Asia, ONE Championship™ is Asia’s largest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship™ has partnered with FOX and STAR Sports for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans 70+ countries across the world.

4-division and current Middleweight champion Miguel Cotto has signed with Roc Nation Sports according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“We are really happy to have this partnership with Roc Nation, and we are going to do our best as always to fight at the same level I have always fought at,” Cotto said. “We are going to discuss the opponents and the venue, but the best option for us is to be in New York.”

David Itskowitch, the chief operating officer of Roc Nation Sports’ boxing division, used to be the COO at Golden Boy Promotions and got to know Cotto when Golden Boy promoted his fights with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Austin Trout. Itskowitch had been pursuing Cotto for months.

“We bring a lot to the table beyond the world of boxing,” Itskowitch said. “We can bring certain things in boxing that were attractive to him, but there’s a lot that we can help establish for him in his years beyond the ring.”

“I am just finishing the last part of my career by doing what is in the best interest for me and my family,” Cotto said. “We had the opportunity to work with and have nice relationships with Top Rank and Golden Boy [for two fights] and now we have an agreement with Roc Nation. That was the best option for us. Just like any other businessman, I am just thinking about the benefits, the money and the opportunity in this deal.

Middleweight champion Miguel Cotto has left Top Rank to join Roc Nation Sports. “I am just finishing the last part of my career by doing what is in the best interest for me and my family,” Cotto said.
“When you talk about Miguel Cotto, it’s not only about Miguel Cotto the boxer. Miguel Cotto has a company [Cotto Promotions] that Roc Nation is going to bring more interest to. I’m in the last stage of my career. I need to have other things after my career.”

“I don’t know what happened, but ever since I’ve been with Miguel [since signing him out of the 2000 Olympics], there has always been a force trying to pull us apart, to divide us,” said Top Rank’s Todd duBoef told ESPN.com. “I can’t constantly fight those that are trying to manipulate him to pull us apart. He is responsible for his decisions, but he has always had people around him manipulating him. He has been corrupted by people who are disingenuous. His conduct shows he can be easily polluted.

“For the past few months, I’ve been calling Gaby to talk about this or that as it relates to Miguel’s next fight. He wouldn’t return calls or texts, kept putting me off. What’s there to hide? Don’t dodge. If he says they got a great offer, be transparent and open. Don’t hide. That is not in my DNA.”

“This time they were playing games with me. They were devious and mischievous,” duBoef said. “They weren’t open and transparent. I’m disappointed in Cotto’s personal conduct. It’s not that he took another deal. But he said to me before the Martinez fight, ‘I’m a man of my word. We’re together. We’ll finish my career together.’ His words meant nothing.”

Michael Yormark, president and chief of branding and strategy for parent company Roc Nation, said a major part of the deal for Cotto was Roc Nation’s ability to do more for Cotto than just promote his fights.

“Boxing is the core of what Miguel does, but he is also looking for other opportunities,” Yormark said. “For a fighter like Miguel, at this point in his career, those things become important — his company, his philanthropic initiatives with his foundation, building his brand beyond the core boxing fans and positioning it in the mainstream. Those are things we do at Roc Nation, and we will be aligning him with companies around the globe.

“Roc Nation is not just a boxing promoter. We have lots of different platforms to offer Miguel Cotto. We are going to help him with his foundation, which is very important to him. Our relationships extend beyond boxing. We will help him build Cotto Promotions into a more diversified company that will include music and entertainment.”

“It all depends on what’s the best for me,” Cotto said. “If it’s 160, I will stay at 160. If the best thing for me to do is to be at 154, I will do it.”

“He’s not tied to any one network and we will seek the best deal,” Itskowitch said, acknowledging that an opponent such as Bundrage or somebody of that caliber would not be a pay-per-view fight.

“I never met him, but who doesn’t know about Jay Z,” Cotto said. “Working with his company is big for me. In this chapter of Miguel Cotto’s career, it will make a difference.”

March 5, 2015 – Ring legend Bernard Hopkins, who knows a thing or two about the light heavyweight division, will be ringside on Saturday, March 14 at the Bell Centre in Montreal working as the expert analyst for the HBO World Championship Boxing® telecast. Hopkins will work alongside Jim Lampley, Max Kellerman and Harold Lederman.

The live tripleheader (9:45 p.m. ET/PT) is headlined by the 2015 ring debut of light heavyweight champ Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev defending his title belts against the formidable Jean Pascal. Hopkins has faced both of these elite fighters in the ring. Bernard fought Pascal in Quebec in 2010 and 2011, registering a majority draw and a win. He lost a unanimous decision to Kovalev last November in Atlantic City in one of the year’s most intriguing events.

“We are delighted to have a personality as engaging as Bernard Hopkins filling in on such a terrific and important fight card,” said Rick Bernstein, executive producer, HBO Sports.

The telecast opens up with a light heavyweight bout between Isaac Chilemba and Vasily Lepikhin followed by the evening’s co-feature an important heavyweight tilt between Vyacheslav Glazkov and Steve Cunningham.

Philadelphia (March 5, 2015 ) – This Friday night at the 2300 Arena in South Philadelphia, streaking Heavyweight Joey Dawejko (13-3-2, 6 KO’s) of Philadelphia takes on Enobong Umohette (9-2, 8 KO’s) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in a bout scheduled for 8-rounds.

Dawejko will be looking for his fourth consecutive first round knockout and he just completed a month long training camp in Easton, PA.

The camp consisted of all members of Mark Cipparone’s Club 1957 Management and provided a good atmosphere that consisted of as many as a dozen boxers.

“Training camp went great. My whole team was there and I am ready to go for Friday,” said Dawejko.

In Umohette, Dawejko is fighting a guy that he does not know much about other then he has fought mostly in the Midwest and holds a knockout over former U.S. Olympian, Dante Craig.

“There isn’t much tape on him. He is about 6-feet tall and he must be able to punch a little bit based on his record.”

Should the former world Jr. Amateur champion be victorious, he could be in line for a May 8 showdown with Amir Mansour in a bout that would be part of an ESPN Friday Night Fight’s card.

“It wasn’t too hard to stay focused on this fight. I need this fight to put me in position for whatever fight is being talked about.”

Even though Dawejko’s last three bouts have ended before the end of the first round, he never goes in looking for the early stoppage.

“I never go into any fight looking to knock anyone out. We train for 8 rounds or more and if it comes, it comes.”

Dawejko will be fighting extra hard as he and his fiancee Maria are expecting their 2nd child around April 9.

He did not want to talk too much about Mansour, but Mansour artist will be ringside calling the action on gfl.tv and Comcast and when asked if Dawejko would have anything to say to Mansour, “I think it is great that Amir will be ringside so he can witness what he can look forward to on May 8.”

Said Dawejko’s manager Mark Cipparone of Club 1957 Management,” The reality is that Joey Dawejko “The Tank” has created a well deserved buzz in boxing once again. I am sure that his last 3 fights ending in first round explosive KO’s have something to do with it! And today, I can’t seem to go anywhere without someone asking me when “The Tank” will be fighting again? It’s exciting because Joey has renewed interest to many in boxing ranging from the dedicated fan to the new comer and everyone in between. Everyone wants to see Joey fight!

As a hands on manager I spend a lot of time in the gym measuring boxers and Joey clearly has above average speed, above average power and most important he has an extremely high boxing IQ. As a result of this, Joey has earned both my attention and my full support and I am proud of his accomplishments. Stay tuned because the best is yet to come as great things are ahead for “Team Dawejko”.

Dawejko is promoted by Peltz Boxing.

Joey Dawejko 022115
Joey Dawejko

Club 1957 Management was founded in 2013 by local businessman Mark Cipparone. Cipparone is the owner of the widely successful and popular Rocco’s Collision. Since the formation of Club 1957 Management he has guided the careers of some the top fighters in the country. Currently he manages Heavyweight Joey Dawejko, Welterweight Raymond Serrano, Jr. Lightweight Tevin Farmer and Jr. Lightweight Jason Sosa and others.

MACAO — The Chinese New Year began on February 19, 2015 — The Year of the Sheep. But Chinese boxing fans from around the world are hoping it will also usher in the beginning of The Shiming Dynasty. After winning three World Championships and two Olympic gold medals as an amateur, ZOU SHIMIING, in only his seventh professional fight and 23 months removed from his professional debut, will be challenging undefeated International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight world champion AMNAT RUENROENG. The Showdown at Sands: Zou Shiming vs. Amnat Ruenroeng will headline an exciting all-action world championship boxing event, Saturday, March 7, at The Venetian® Macao’s Cotai Arena.

Promoted by Top Rank® and Sands China Ltd., in association with Tecate, SECA, Kreerin Promotions, Sampson Boxing and Foreman Boys Promotions, the Zou Shiming – Amnat Ruenroeng World Flyweight Championship fight will be televised via same-day delay on HBO2, beginning at 5:00 p.m. ET/PT. The HBO2 telecast will open with a 10-round NABO junior middleweight title tilt between GLEN TAPIA (22-1, 14 KOs), of Passaic, NJ, and one-time world title challenger DANIEL DAWSON (40-4-1, 26 KOs), of Perth, Australia. Veteran boxing blow-by-blow man and WNBC-TV’s lead sports anchor Bruce Beck and award-winning broadcaster and analyst Rich Marotta will be calling the action from ringside.

Making the Zou-Ruenroeng fight even more intriguing is the history these two warriors already have with each other. Their amateur trilogy began with Ruenroeng winning their first battle — as a late substitute called up by the Thailand amateur team — at the 2007 King’s Cup, which was also Ruenroeng’s first international competition. Zou won the next two times they fought, including a reverse in their semi-final of the 2010 Asian Games that could have gone either way — and did. Now that they are professionals, the stakes are much higher and their simmering rivalry is set to become a roiling boil.

“Beloved in the Peoples’ Republic of China and an incredible talent, Zou has earned his right to fight for a professional world championship belt,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “It is fitting that the Zou vs. Ruenroeng world flyweight title fight take place at The Venetian Macao, which has become one of the great boxing capitals of the world.”

Zou (6-0, 1 KO), from Guizhou, China, and trained by Hall of Famer Freddie Roach, returns to the ring fresh from his most impressive professional victory — a 12-round unanimous decision victory over undefeated No. 3 contender Kwanpichit Onesongchaigym in a world flyweight title elimination bout. Their fight was the co-main event to the Manny Pacquiao – Chris Algieri world welterweight championship on November 22 at Cotai Arena. Zou scored three knockdowns en route to a 119-106, 119-106 and 120-103 victory over his vastly more experienced opponent. He showed his mettle by fighting through numerous head butts that swelled his left eye shut as well as weathering numerous low blows. But Zou kept his composure throughout the fight showing the world he was ready for a world title shot. Last July 19, Zou stepped up to his first 10-round fight, where he captured the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) International flyweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Top-10 contender Luis De La Rosa, proving to the world that he had developed into a world title contender. Zou is currently world-rated No. 1 by the WBO and No. 4 by the IBF. He won his professional debut April 6, 2013 at Fists of Gold, via a dominant four-round unanimous decision over gritty Eleazar Valenzuela. He followed that up with six-round unanimous decision victories last year over Jesus Ortega and Juan Toscano, July 27 at Fists of Gold II and November 24 at The Clash in Cotai, respectively, and celebrated his 2014 debut with his first professional knockout, February 22, at Ring of Gold, stopping Yokthong Kokietgym in the seventh round. All of Zou’s professional bouts have taken place at the Cotai Arena. One of the most popular Olympic athletes in China, Zou was the world’s greatest amateur light flyweight, capturing gold medals in the World Amateur Championships in 2005, 2007 and 2011, along with gold medals in the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympic Games. He also owns an Olympic bronze medal from the 2004 games, making him his nation’s first Olympic medallist in boxing as well as its first boxing gold medallist in the World Amateur Championships and the Olympics.

Ruenroeng (14-0, 5 KOs), of Si Racha, Thailand, overcame a troubled past to reach the pinnacle of his division. Beating a severe drug addiction and enduring three prison terms, Ruenroeng found his salvation through a prison boxing program that saw him become a national amateur champion, while still an inmate, as a member of the Thai Corrections Department team. A bronze medallist at the 2007 World Amateur Championships in Chicago and a member of Thailand’s 2008 Olympic team, Ruenroeng made his professional debut in 2012 when he didn’t make the 2012 Olympic team. He made his presence known to his division in his second year as a professional winning the IBF/Asia flyweight title and successfully defending it three times. He captured the vacant IBF flyweight world title on January 22, 2014, scoring a unanimous decision over Rocky Fuentes. He has successfully defended the title twice since winning it His first title defense was against unbeaten two-division world champion Kazuto Ioka, in Iaoka’s homeland of Oska, Japan, last May 7. In his most recent title defense, on September 10, Ruenroeng survived a knockdown en route to s split decision victory over mandatory challenger McWilliams Arroyo.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #ShowdonAtSands to join the conversation on Twitter.

Patrick Nielsen (23-1, 11 KOs) is preparing for battle. The Danish boxing star takes on George Tahdooahnippah (34-1-2, 24 KOs) for the WBA International Super Middleweight title on March 14 at the Ballerup Super Arena. It will be a clash of the clans when the Viking boxer meets the Comanche warrior in the Copenhagen suburb.

‘’It’s going to be war,’’ declares Nielsen. ‘’This is my first fight at 168lbs and I need to make a statement.’’

To make a statement the 23 year-old southpaw must defeat Tahdooahnippah, a top ten ranked super middleweight and proud member of the Native American Comanche Nation.

Known as the ‘Lords of the Plains’, the Comanche were ferocious warriors, feared by American settlers and rival tribes alike for their devastating raids and military mastery.

‘’I’m not afraid of the Comanche,’’ states a defiant Nielsen. ‘’Tahdooahnippah may be from a warrior race but so am I. The Albertslund Vikings fear no one!

‘’The Vikings ruled the world just as I plan on ruling the super middleweight division. The ‘Comanche Boy’ will be the first of many fighters I conquer on my journey to the top.

‘’I’m ready to take the super middleweight division by storm. I want to fight the best out there and put Danish boxing back on the map!’’

Nielsen headlines the Nordic Fight Night on March 14 at the Ballerup Super Arena, which also features Danish featherweight Dennis Ceylan (13-0-1, 7 KOs) in a must win fight against former world champion Dmitry Kirillov (31-5-1, 10 KOs). All the action will be shown live in Denmark on TV3 Sport channels. Tickets are available via billetlugen.dk.

Tacoma, Washington (March 4, 2015) Brian Halquist Productions is proud to announce a very special night of fights, as the Battle at the Boat series celebrates its 100th show on Saturday, March 28th live from the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington.

Headlining this milestone event will be hometown favorite, Mike “Imagine Me” Gavronski (16-1-1, 10KOs) vs. Maurice Louishomme (8-1-1, 4KOs) in a 10-round super middleweight clash. This historic night will feature a number of thrilling matchups, showcasing the most talented up and coming fighters in the Northwest today and is sure to be talked about for years to come.

When Mike Gavronski steps in the ring, fans know not to blink. Gavronski has been a staple at recent Battle at the Boat events, first appearing at the EQC back in 2010. Since then, the talented Tacoma native has fought all over the country, including bouts in California, Oregon and Illinois just to name a few. His exciting style mixes elite footwork with heavy hands, creating a unique blend of speed and power that his opponents have learned to fear. Looking to extend his current win streak to three, Gavronski faces a tough test in Maurice Louishomme of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Louishomme has fought tough in his young boxing career with his last suffering his only setback against 2012 Ukrainian Olympian Ievgen Khytrov.

Also featured will be undefeated sensation Jeremy McCleary (6-0) of Buckley, Washington. The talented 20 year old will look to keep his undefeated streak alive in a rematch against native Oregonian, Corben Page. It will be McCleary’s first contest of more than four rounds and with all of his professional victories going the distance, the three time local Golden Gloves champion has proven that cardio won’t be an issue.

Keeping with the theme of talented local fighters, Yakima’s Marcelino Pineda (4-1, 4K0s) will be featured on the card as well. Pineda, who has knocked out all four opponents he’s defeated, will look to add another highlight reel knockout to his resume as he takes on skilled veteran Paul Mpendo.

Rounding out the featured bouts of the night will be another name familiar to boxing fans, as Vancouver, Washington’s Jason Davis makes his long awaited return to the Battle at the Boat stage, taking on Daryl Gardner in a 4-round super welterweight contest.

“This really is a truly special show for us. Over 18 years ago we were going to do one show and that one show has developed into the premier boxing series on the west coast. Number 100 and we’re going strong. I’m ready to start on the second hundred. I’m still young!” laughed promoter, Brian Halquist.

For almost 20 years, Battle at the Boat has been the premier showcase of boxing talent in the Pacific Northwest. The show has been featured on Showtime, HBO, ESPN, ESPN 2, DirecTV, Fox Sports and even garnered international exposure on Telemundo, Univision and Azteca. Battle at the Boat veterans have gone on to headline numerous events around the world, capturing world titles in the process. Boxing stars that have made their appearance on Battle at the Boat cards include:

Vic Darchinyan (40-7-1, 29 KOs)
Kenny Ellis (35-7-3, 24 KOs)
Emmit Linton (33-6-2, 15 KOs)
Kinsley Ikeke (27-3-0, 14 KOs)
Chad Van Sickle (23-9-3, 12 KOs)
David Torres (21-3-2, 13 KOs)
Vernon Forrest (41-3-0, 29 KOs)
Carlos Baldomir (49-16-6, 15 KOs)
Zahir Raheem (35-3-0, 21 KOs)

Tickets for this historic night are on sale now at the Emerald Queen Casino box office as well as all Ticketmaster locations and start at only $25. Fans are encouraged to get their tickets early, as this highly anticipated event will sell out. Doors open at 6:00PM with the first bout scheduled for 7:00PM. Battle at the Boat is brought to you by Brian Halquist Productions. For more info, please visit www.halquistproductions.com as well as the Battle at the Boat Facebook page.

LOS ANGELES (March 4) -Two of boxing’s toughest warriors, Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez and Texas titan James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland hosted press conferences on Tuesday, March 3 in Houston at Minute Maid Park and San Antonio at The Aztec Theater to announce details for their 12-round super welterweight showdown at Minute Maid Park in Houston on May 9. Oscar De La Hoya,Founder and President ofGolden Boy Promotions, Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson,Chairman and CEO of SMS Promotions, Mike Battah, President of Leija*Battah and Texas boxing legend and Founder of Leija*Battah Promotions, Jesse James Leija, were also in attendance to discuss the much anticipated clash of two of boxing’s toughest fighters. Golden Boy Promotions, in association with Canelo Promotions, SMS Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions will bring fans an explosive night of boxing on Saturday, May 9.The event will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®.

Below is what Canelo Alvarez, James Kirkland, Oscar De La Hoya, Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson and their teams had to say during the press conferences.

CANELO ALVAREZ, Former World Champion:

“I want to thank everyone for coming out today. As always you guys are very good to me you have always supported me.

“First of all I want to thank all the people; I feel like home every time I come to Texas.

“This is the first time that I am anxious to fight here and I am looking forward to fighting Kirkland. He is coming to fight. He is dangerous and powerful. I am also powerful and aggressive and I can guarantee you, this is going to be an explosive fight.

“I am very happy to be with Golden Boy Promotions, they want to make the best fights and so do I. I want to give fans an exciting night of boxing on May 9.

JAMES “MANDINGO WARRIOR” KIRKLAND,Super Welterweight Contender:

“I want to thank HBO Championship Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions, SMS Promotions for giving me this opportunity.

“I’m ready to put my life on the line and give it everything I’ve got. I want to show my fans what I’ve really come to do.

“May 9, we’re here. Team Kirkland!”

Oscar De La Hoya, Founder and President of Golden Boy Promotions:

“Canelo has faced all the top guys at this age. Why? Because he wants to be the very best and to be the very best you have to fight the very best.

“We have to pair the best styles to create the best fight. No questions asked, this is going to be the fight of the year.

“We have all seen what Kirkland can do. He is a tough fighter. But, these are the types of the fights that Canelo loves, the fights for the fans.

“In just two hours since they went on sale, 15,000 tickets have been sold for May 9.

“Canelo has said he wants to fight in Texas once a year. That is how important the Teaxs fans are to Canelo Alvarez and Golden Boy Promotions.

“We are happy to announce that tickets start at $10. The $10 seat is probably the best seat because of how the arena is built. We wanted to reasonably price these tickets out of respect for the fans.

“We are thrilled and happy that we can have this fight here in Texas. Come Saturday May 9, we know that a lot of fans from San Antonio will be driving down and filling up the place in Houston.

“We are extremely happy to have a home for this fight and what better place than HBO.”

CURTIS ’50 CENT’ JACKSON, Chairman and CEO of SMS Promotions:

“It’s a pleasure to be here and announce one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year.
“Fans will see something really exciting on May 9. In James, you have a fighter who is powerful, intense and aggressive.

“James is a powerful warrior, and you all will get to see him in action on May 9.”

MIKE BATTAH, President of Leija Battah Promotions:

“We’re going to experience a historical event on May 9. We have two warriors, Canelo and Kirkland. We are glad to be bringing a mega fight to Texas.

“We sold 39,000 tickets when Canelo was last here. We are going to beat that with this fight on May 9.”

JESSE JAMES LEIJA, Founder of Leija*Battah Promotions:

“Oscar De La Hoya, Canelo and Kirkland wanted to fight here in Texas so we got the closest venue we could for May 9 and that’s in Houston.

“We want everyone to come out here and show what kind of boxing fans we have in Texas.

“We want everyone to come out there on May 9 and let’s fill up Minute Maid Park. I’ll tell you what; it’s going to be a much better fight than the fight on May 2.

“You’ve got two powerful punchers, two guys that want to prove to Texas and the world who is the better man. It’s going to be a great fight.”

JOSE “CHEPO” REYNOSO, Manager and Trainer for Canelo Alvarez:

“We’re here to give you guys thanks, we are very thankful for all the support. We are also here to invite you to Houston on May 9.

“Styles make fights and the boxing styles of Canelo and Kirkland will make a war in the ring on May 9. Both of these fighters have come to fight.

“May belongs to the Mexicans, and on May 9 we will be chanting ‘Viva Mexico!’ ‘Viva Canelo!'”

EDDIE REYNOSO, Head Trainer for Canelo Alvarez:

“I want to thank everyone for being here. We are training hard to prepare Canelo to be ready to face a tough contender on May 9.

“On May 9 we have a dangerous fight, a fight that could end at any time with one punch. That’s why we have been getting ready since the second week of January. That’s why we are going get ready like never before. Kirkland is a fighter with a very big punch and he’s very good.

“I want to invite all of you to see Canelo May 9 at Minute Maid Park so that you can see a great knock out.”

BAY-BAY McCLINTON, Trainer for James Kirkland:

“I’ve know James since he was 16 years old. He was in my training camp I had eight guys. And, out of those eight guys James stood out the most to me. He promised me that ‘Whenever I have a big fight, you’re going to be the guy.’ He called me, and he stuck to his word.

“He’s going through hell right now, but I’ll tell you, come May 9 he’s not going to be a pit bull – he is going to be a beast.”

PETER NELSON, HBO Sports Vice President of Programing:

“Thank you guys for coming out. I think Texas has some of the best fight fans in the world. It’s always a privilege for us to come to Texas and we look forward to a great event on May 9.

“I think it is to the great credit of these two men, Canelo Alvarez and James Kirkland, that they wanted to take this fight. I think it speaks to the quality of fighters that they are. This is as fine a fight as I’ve seen on the network since I started working at HBO. This is going to be an all-action fight. It is not to be missed.”

MARCEL BRAITHWAITE, Senior Vice President Business Operations Houston Astros

“We are very excited to help bring boxing back to the City of Houston and are proud to be hosting the first ever professional boxing match at Minute Maid Park.

“A special thanks to Golden Boy Promotions, SMS Promotions, Leija*Battah Promotions and our partners for bringing this once in a lifetime event to our venue.

“On behalf of the Houston Astros, we want to wish both fighters ‘good luck’ and to present them with a personalized authentic jersey on behalf of our entire team.”

# # #

Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland, is a 12-round super welterweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions, SMS Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions and is sponsored by Corona Extra and Mexico – Live it to Believe it! The HBO World Championship Boxing telecast begins at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Tickets for Canelo vs. Kirkland priced at $350, $150, $100, $50, $25 and $10, plus applicable fees and service charges, and are on sale now and available for purchase at the Minute Maid Park Box Office (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000, online at www.ticketmaster.com. There is a 19-ticket limit per household.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.canelopromotions.com.mx, www.smsboxing.com, www.hbo.com/boxing and www.astros.com/boxing, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @SMS_Boxing, @HBOBoxing, @Canelo, @KOKirkland, @Astros @LeijaBattahPR become a fan on Facebook at Golden Boy Facebook Page, https://www.facebook.com/SMSBoxing, www.facebook.com/HBOBoxing or www.facebook.com/astros and visit us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @smsboxing and @HBOboxing, @Canelopower, @Kirklandsworld. Follow the conversation using #CaneloKirkland.

New York, NY (3/4/15) – This Friday night, Ievgen Khytrov (8-0, 8KO’s), arguably the most promising young prospect in all of boxing, returns to the bright lights of ESPN Friday Night Fights when he squares off against dangerous Puerto Rican contender Jorge Melendez (28-4-1, 26KO’s) in the 10-round co-feature bout of the evening, live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV.

Headlining the card is junior middleweight Tony Harrison (19-0, 16KO’s) putting his undefeated record on the line against the rugged Antwone Smith (23-5-1, 12KO’s).

“Jorge Melendez is an extremely dangerous opponent and very advanced for an 8-0 prospect. Khytrov is not a normal 8-0 prospect, however; he is a beast and he is elite. He is going to prove that Friday night on ESPN,” stated co-promoter Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment.

“I’ve trained really hard and have sparred with the top guys in the world in my weight class,” said Khytrov, regarding his preparation for Friday’s fight. “I am one hundred percent ready, grateful for this opportunity and thankful to my promoters DiBella Entertainment and Fight Promotions Inc., as well as my managers Al Haymon and Rory Donadio. I’m going to give it my best and give the fans an entertaining fight.”

Nicknamed the “Ukrainian Lion”, Khytrov was a stellar amateur, having compiled an astounding record of 450-50. He won the 2011 Amateur World Championships and represented his native Ukraine at the 2012 Olympics in London as well. Khytrov was a favorite to win the gold, but lost a highly disputed decision to eventual bronze medalist Anthony Ogogo in the opening round, despite twice dropping the hometown favorite Ogogo.

Following his disappointment at the Olympics, Khytrov immediately relocated to the US and began living and training in Brooklyn, NY. Khytrov, now co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and Fight Promotions Inc., made his successful debut in December 2013 and has been on an absolute tear ever since, including seven of his eight career knockouts thus far coming in three rounds or less. Khytrov’s last four opponents, three of whom were defeated in nationally televised slots (ESPN, FoxSports1 and ShoBox), have had a combined record of 48-5-2. The bout on Friday night will mark Khytrov’s fourth time fighting on national TV in the last nine months and he is already penciled in for his second appearance on ShoBox: The New Generation on April 10, in Brooklyn, NY. Boxing insiders have begun comparing the 26-year-old to middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, whom Khytrov has said he wants to fight down the road, but first he must get by the dangerous and heavy-handed Puerto Rican Melendez.

In his last 15 bouts, Melendez is 15-2, 13KO’s, and is by far the toughest opponent to date for Khytrov. The former world-rated middleweight and former WBO Latino super welterweight champion Melendez has only been stopped twice in his career, way back in 2010 and 2009. Melendez is coming off an exciting and very close majority decision loss to former world title challenger Javier Maciel in June of last year. The 26-year-old Melendez knows that he cannot afford another loss at this point in his career and will be laying it all on the line come Friday night.

The card is promoted by Goossen Promotions and Warriors Boxing, with the Khytrov-Melendez bout promoted in association with DiBella Entertainment and Fight Promotions. The ESPN telecast will be aired live, beginning at 11 p.m. ET.

ARLINGTON, TX (March 4, 2015) — Undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) World Lightweight Champion and the Boxing Writers Association of America’s (BWAA) 2014 Fighter of the Year TERENCE CRAWFORD and THOMAS DULORME, the No. 2 world-rated junior welterweight contender, will host a Dallas/Fort Worth area press conference announcing their world championship rumble, Tomorrow! Thursday, March 5, on the arena floor of the College Park Center, located on the campus of the University of Texas Arlington (600 South Center St., Arlington, TX 76010-1814). The press conference, which will be open to the public, will begin at 1:30 p.m. CT.

Joining the fighters will be Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank, and Gary Shaw, president of Gary Shaw Promotions, who promote Crawford and Dulorme, respectively. All the participants will be available for one-on-one interviews.

Media may enter through the main entrance, located on the north side of the building. Media parking will be available in the garage, also located on the north side of the building

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Gary Shaw Promotions, Foreman Boys Promotions and Tecate, Crawford and Dulorme will be battling for the vacant WBO junior welterweight world title, Saturday, April 18 at College Park Center. The world championship fight will be televised as part of a split site doubleheader live on HBO Boxing After Dark®, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Crawford (25-0, 17 KOs), of Omaha, NE, boxing’s brightest young star, captured the WBO lightweight title last March, dethroning Ricky Burns in the defending champion’s native Scotland, with a virtuoso performance. Crawford successfully defended the title twice in 2014, knocking out undefeated Cuban superstar and former world champion Yuriorkis Gamboa — a Fight of the Year nominee — and a one-sided unanimous decision over one-time world title contender and mandatory challenger Ray Beltran last November.

Dulorme (22-1, 14 KOs), of Carolina, Puerto Rico, is a fan-favorite in one of boxing’s hottest and most passionate markets. He enters his first world championship fight riding a two-year, six-bout winning streak, including his most recent victory, an NABF/NABO junior welterweight title victory over Hank Lundy, which was televised on HBO last December. Dulorme is world-rated No. 2 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), No. 3 by the World Boxing Council (WBC) and No. 4 by the WBO and the International Boxing Federation (IBF).

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/GaryShawProductions or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, twitter.com/GaryShawBoxing or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #CrawfordDulorme to join the conversation on Twitter.

LINCOLN, R.I. (March 4th, 2015) — Now that she’s finally a world champion, Shelly Vincent must face the same challenges every title-holder faces each time she steps inside the ring, most notably the prospect of staring down a hungry opponent desperate to take what’s hers.

Five months after capturing the vacant Universal Boxing Federation (UBF) super bantamweight title, Vincent (13-0, 1 KO) will defend the crown and put her unbeaten record on the line Friday, April 3rd, 2015 against former world champion and four-time title contender Christina Ruiz (7-7-3, 4 KOs) of San Antonio in the 10-round main event of CES Boxing’s “The Revival” at Twin River Casino in Lincoln, R.I.

As an added bonus, the vacant International Boxing Association (IBA) female super bantamweight world title, last held by Ana Julaton, is also up for grabs.

“This will be my biggest fight to date, even better than my war with [Jackie] Trivilino,” Vincent said. “My team expanded with Sharik Ali as my head strength coach. We’re working on new things.

“You will see a new beast in there. They’re transforming me into a killer.”

Tickets for “The Revival” are priced at $40.00, $100.00 and $125.00 and available for purchase online at www.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com, by phone at 401-724-2253/2254 or at the Twin River Players Club. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Willimantic, Conn., light heavyweight Kevin Cobbs (9-1, 3 KOs) returns to face undefeated Providence, R.I., native Angel Camacho Jr. (13-0, 4 KOs) in the six-round co-feature while welterweights Nick DeLomba (6-0) of Cranston, R.I., and Joe Wilson Jr. (3-1) of Hartford, Conn., battle in a six-round special attraction.

No stranger to tough fights, the 29-year-old, 5-foot-3 Ruiz has stood toe-to-toe with elite competition in several weight classes, including current UBF bantamweight champion Tyrieshia Douglas, International Boxing Federation (IBF) title-challenger Jennifer Han, former World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight world champion Kaliesha West and 33-fight veteran Alicia Ashley, a former World Boxing Council (WBC) title-holder in the super bantamweight division.

Two years after challenging Ashley for the then-vacant WBC 122-pound world title, Ruiz defeated Christina Fuentes by unanimous decision to capture the vacant International Female Boxers Association (IFBA) world super bantamweight title, her first victory in three title bouts. She’s faced six undefeated fighters over the span of four and a half years with two notable wins during that stretch, including a knockout victory over previously unbeaten Emily Klinefelter in 2011 and a unanimous decision win over Jennifer Scott in 2010.

Ruiz also fought WBC No. 7 ranked super bantamweight Celina Salazar twice, earning a draw in their rematch in 2010, and faced former WBO lightweight champ Amanda Serrano, now ranked No. 2 in the world, in just her second pro fight.

With a resume second to none, Ruiz is a serious threat to dethrone Vincent, who has climbed to No. 6 in the WBC after beating Jackie Trivilino in a back-and-forth slugfest to capture the then-vacant UBF crown in November. Vincent also boasts a pair of wins over Bronx native Nydia Feliciano and a unanimous decision win over four-time world-title challenger Angel Gladney in 2013.

“I’m training like I’ve never trained before,” Ruiz said. “I’m taking this fight very seriously and putting in 110 percent. I can’t let another world title pass through my hands. With God on my side I will come out victorious.”

The undercard of “The Revival” features several noteworthy regional showdowns, including a four-round junior welterweight bout between unbeaten Worcester, Mass., native Freddy Sanchez (3-0, 2 KOs) and Briam Granado (1-0, 1 KO) of New Bedford, Mass., and a four-round super middleweight bout between Zachary Christy (1-0-1) of Warwick, R.I. (St. Petersburg, Fla.), and former Rocky Marciano Tournament amateur champion Bobby Flynn of Sandwich, Mass., who is making his professional boxing debut.

Also on the undercard, New Bedford junior middleweight Ray Oliveira Jr. (3-0, 2 KOs) returns to face Cambridge, Mass., newcomer Yves Thevenin. Heavyweight Jean Pierre Agustin (4-0, 2 KOs) of Lawrence, Mass., makes his New England and Twin River debut and unbeaten middleweight prospect Khiary Gray-Pitts (5-0, 3 KOs) of Worcester fights for the third time in 2015, both in separate bouts.

For more information on “The Revival” visit www.cesboxing.com, follow @CESBOXING on Twitter and Instagram and “like” the official CES Boxing Facebook fan page.

LONDON (4 March) – BoxNation will air a host of top fights from the Premier Boxing Champions series, starting this weekend with rising superstars Keith Thurman and Adrien Broner.

‘The Channel of Champions’ has three great fights cards as part of the deal, with the highly-touted Thurman to get the ball rolling when he takes on the unrelenting Robert Guerrero this Saturday night, in a glittering lineup which also sees the return of Mexican ace Abner Mares.

The former world champion will go toe-to-toe with the tricky Arturo Santos Reyes, before the flash and often brash Broner looks to get his year off to a bang when he challenges the tough John Molina in a mouth-watering showdown, live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

In addition to this, on March 13th, BoxNation will bring subscribers an exciting night’s action when welterweights Andre Berto and Josesito Lopez share the ring at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California.

All-action 147-pounder Shawn Porter will also be out that night when he faces the dangerous and hard-hitting Roberto Garcia, with heavyweight hitman Chris Arreola also set to appear.

The world’s best boxing channel will also air the thrilling April 11th card which sees Irish star Andy Lee make the first defence of his WBO middleweight world title when he battles the undefeated and former champion Peter Quillin.

There will be high UK interest in that fight with the victor eyeing a potential clash with WBO mandatory challenger Billy Joe Saunders later this year.

Furthermore, the April 11th bill at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn will witness one of the most eagerly anticipated fight’s so far this year when light-welterweight kingpin Danny Garcia goes up against IBF champion Lamont Peterson.

The card will also see cancer survivor and miracle man Danny Jacobs make his first title defence following his win over Jarrod Fletcher last August, when he lays it all on the line against 31-year-old Caleb Truax.

BoxNation’s multi-fight agreement with Premier Boxing Champions demonstrates the channel’s continued commitment to delivering the very best fights to UK boxing fans.

Jim McMunn, Managing Director of BoxNation, said: “BoxNation continuously looks to deliver the very best fights out there for our viewers. This agreement once again demonstrates our commitment to boxing and our aim of airing the very best shows, both domestically and internationally, to our loyal subscribers. These are three thrilling fight cards and we’re delighted UK fans will be able to watch them live and exclusive on BoxNation.”

To subscribe to BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546 and TalkTalk 525) for only £12 a month visit boxnation.com.

-Ends-

About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.525), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

Steve “USS” Cunningham
[On his first fight in Montreal] I am excited. This is my first time in Canada. From the Pascal fights I have seen, the fans in Montreal are crazy for boxing. I am excited to go.

[On his first fight on HBO] It is 14 years in the making. I am happy to finally be here.

[On Glazkov] He struggled against Malik Scott and Derric Rossy and they have similar styles. I ain’t worried about none of that though. I need to do what Steve Cunningham does. I come to kick butt. I come to win. I come to walk out of there with my hands raised.

[On the stakes riding on this fight] The stakes for this fight are the ultimate stakes. This is the fight to get to the heavyweight title. This is that fight that gets you there. Every fight I have had has been the most important fight of my career but this fight is on the stage for that #1 spot. This is to get to the champion. This is the biggest fight of my career. This is the biggest fight of a lot of peoples’ careers. I want to capitalize on it. I want to make the best of it. I want to get in there and do what I am supposed to do. I want to get in there and do what I know I can do. I don’t want to be concerned with Glazkov himself I am just focusing on me. This is the upper echelon stakes.

Kennedy and Steve Cunningham
Photo Credits: Dave Torres/Main Events

[On fighting Klitschko or Jennings if he wins] I just need to get in there and handle this business. I can elaborate more on that March 15. Right now Glazkov is the tip of the spear.

I am looking at this fight like it is a cruiserweight fight. Naazim and I had good work. We got in good sparring with good guys that we have worked with before. We have been putting in good work and we are ready for anything. He could come in at 250 [pounds] if he wants or 210 [pounds] and we are ready to go.

I have been the underdog since I started boxing. The main thing to do is keep the faith. When you believe in what you are doing, you love what you do and you work hard at what you do then nobody can stop you. I have always been the underdog, always. I was the underdog for so long so that motivation is just built into me. How many times have I fought in Philly? As a cruiserweight it was only one time. Now I have fought here a few times as a heavyweight. Even as an amateur I never really had that home court advantage, never. That is a kitchen I cook in well. I am used to not being comfortable. I learned to work in uncomfortable situations. I was in the United States Navy for four years. I am ready for hard work. When you can perform in lack of comfort it builds something in you. I have seen guys seen guys break down mentally when they have to fight overseas because they are not in comfortable setting. I could care less about where I fight. We could have a ring on the moon and Steve Cunningham is golden time.

Steve Cunningham and Naazmin Richardson
Photo Credits: Dave Torres/Main Events

A lot of fans want to see you take the throne from the king. I am a boxing fan myself. Before I was a fighter I was a fan. I understand the fans want you to take the crown from the king. I would love to fight Wladimir [Klitschko] because when you are a champion and you are at that level the challenges are what drive you. It is not just money and this and that. A champion wants to put himself up against the best. He wants to see how he fairs against the best. Wladimir Klitschko is the best right now. I would love to challenge him. I have been to camp with Wladimir twice. He and I have a good relationship. We talk all the time. We’ve got the same lawyer. I totally respect him.

We work on putting the weight on. This camp I have been coming in higher than I have in the past. I don’t matter. Whatever weight we come in at, that’s the weight we are fighting at. That’s my mindset. I try to put the weight on but my metabolism is so crazy and I sweat so much I can’t keep it on.

Richardson and Cunningham
Photo Credits: Dave Torres/Main Events

Brother Naazim Richardson, Cunningham’s trainer
[On Glazkov’s Olympic experience] I don’t underestimate Glazkov in any capacity. Even though fighters say it’s not true, but I believe any kid who has been to the Olympics is ready for the big stage. I have been to the Olympics. The Olympics is large. More people watch the Olympics than any world championship fight. I was with my son at the Olympics with Bernard Hopkins, and Bernard had every belt you could have, and I asked my son how the opening game of the Olympics compared to any fight he had ever been to. He said this ain’t even close. I think Glazkov is ready for anything after competing in the Olympics. He is definitely one of the most dangerous athletes, if not the most dangerous, one we have ever faced for that reason. He is a very talented kid.

Steve needs to be the best Steve Cunningham he can be and that will be enough for Glazkov. When Steve is at his best he brings enough to the table to beat him. Steve just turned heavyweight not too long ago yet he is facing his fourth undefeated heavyweight and the third one in a row. Who has done that, including the champion? I feel that had he had more time to acclimate to this weight class he would have put on an even better performance against [Tyson] Fury.

About Kovalev vs. Pascal
Kovalev vs. Pascal is a 12-round fight for the WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Championship Titles. The fight will be televised as part of a live triple header on HBO World Championship Boxing® Saturday, March 14 from the Centre Bell in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Tickets are on sale now at the Centre Bell ticket office, at www.evenko.ca, by telephone at 1-855-310-2525 or through Club de Boxe Champion 514-376-0980. This event is a co-promotion of Main Events and InterBox, presented by Vidéotron in association with Mise-O-Jeu.

Greatest Hits: Sergey Kovalev (HBO Boxing)
Greatest Hits: Sergey Kovalev (HBO Boxing)

Road to Kovalev-Pascal (Full Show)
Road to Kovalev-Pascal
(Full Show)

WCB: Kovalev vs. Pascal Preview (HBO Boxing)
WCB: Kovalev vs. Pascal Preview (HBO Boxing)

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. (March 5, 2015) – The 12-bout lineup for Bellator MMA’s return to WinStar World Casino is now complete with the addition of an eight-fight preliminary lineup.

The new matchups include bantamweights L.C. Davis (22-6) vs. Hideo Tokoro (32-27), featherweights Emmanuel “El Matador” Sanchez (9-1) vs. Alejandro Villalobos (17-3), welterweights Sean Holden (2-1) vs. Tim Roman (2-1), middleweights Neal Ewing (5-0) vs. Logan Nail (1-0), heavyweights Rashad Coulter (4-1) vs. Jeremiah O’Neal (13-24), featherweights Stephen “The Fear” Banaszak (3-4) vs. Brad Mitchell (4-1), flyweights Klayton Mai (6-1) vs. Xavier “Young Guns” Siller (5-3) and bantamweights J.P. Cole (2-2) vs. Geo Pacurariu (8-4).

The new bouts make up the Spike.com-streamed preliminary card (6:30 p.m. ET) of “Bellator: Warren vs. Galvao,” which takes place on Friday, March 27, at WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Okla. The night’s televised main card, featuring Bellator MMA Bantamweight World Champion Joe Warren vs. top contender Marcos Galvao, airs live on Spike TV (9 p.m. ET).

Tickets for “Bellator: Warren vs. Galvao,” which include VIP Seating for just $75, are already on sale at Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.

Davis, of Kansas City, Mo., is a nine-year veteran of the sport who is currently 6-1 in his past seven appearances, including a pair of wins under the Bellator MMA banner. He now meets 14-year Japanese veteran Tokoro, a longtime mainstay in his native country who now makes his Bellator MMA debut.

Sanchez, a 24-year-old Roufusport fighter from Milwaukee, Wisc., made his Bellator MMA debut in October 2013 and scored a first-round submission win over Stephen Banaszak. He currently boasts a five-fight winning streak that includes four first-round stoppages. He now meets Costa Rican fighter Villalobos, who is 11-1 in his past 12 fights and has earned 16 of his 17 career wins by stoppage, including nine knockouts and seven submissions.

Coulter, of Dallas, Texas, has earned all four of his career victories by way of knockout, though his lone career loss came by way of submission. That could prove a key factor when he meets O’Neal, of Palestine, Texas, who owns 11 of his 13 career victories by tapout.

Holden, of Dallas, Texas, earned victory in his first two career outings but now looks to rebound from a February 2014 submission loss. He now faces Roman, of Greenville, Texas, who has taken an exact opposite career path, losing his professional debut but since bouncing back with back-to-back victories.

The undefeated Ewing, of Dallas, Texas, has earned all five of his career wins by way of stoppage, including three submissions and two knockouts. He now faces Nail, of Sherman, Texas, who earned a TKO win in his February 2014 debut and now looks to build on that result.

Banaszak, of Bells, Texas, is a three-time Bellator MMA veteran who has yet to go to a judges’ decision in seven professional contests. He now faces Mitchell, of Dallas, Texas, who makes his Bellator MMA debut on the strength of a two-fight winning streak.

Mai, of Dallas, Texas, is a grappling ace who’s earned five of his first six career wins by submission and who has yet to fight to a judges’ decision. His opponent, Siller, of Abilene, Texas, has been equally active in his career, also ending every fight – win or lose – before the final bell.

Cole, of Frisco, Texas, and Romanian import Pacurariu, who now lives and trains in Dallas, Texas, each make their Bellator MMA debut.

“Bellator: Warren vs. Galvao” – Friday, March 27, WinStar World Casino, Thackerville, Okla.

Main Card (9 p.m. ET)

Bellator Bantamweight Title Fight: Champ Joe Warren (12-3) vs. Marcos Galvao (16-6-1)
Bellator Bantamweight Feature Fight: Eduardo Dantas (16-4) vs. Mike Richman (18-5)
Bellator Light Heavyweight Feature Fight: Francis Carmont (22-10) vs. Guilherme Viana (6-1)
Bellator Lightweight Feature Fight: Dakota Cochrane (18-7) vs. Ryan Couture (9-3)

Preliminary Card (6:30 p.m. ET)

Bellator Heavyweight Prelim Fight: Rashad Coulter (4-1) vs. Jeremiah O’Neal (13-24),
Bellator Welterweight Prelim Fight: Sean Holden (2-1) vs. Tim Roman (2-1)
Bellator Middleweight Prelim Fight: Neal Ewing (5-0) vs. Logan Nail (1-0)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Emmanuel Sanchez (9-1) vs. Alejandro Villalobos (17-3)
Bellator Featherweight Prelim Fight: Stephen Banaszak (3-4) vs. Brad Mitchell (4-1)
Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: L.C. Davis (22-6) vs. Hideo Tokoro (32-27)
Bellator Flyweight Prelim Fight: Klayton Mai (6-1) vs. Xavier Siller (5-3)
Bellator Bantamweight Prelim Fight: J.P. Cole (2-2) vs. Geo Pacurariu (8-4)

About Bellator MMA
Bellator MMA is a leading Mixed Martial Arts organization featuring many of the best fighters in the world. Under the direction of veteran fight promoter Scott Coker, Bellator is available to nearly 400 million homes worldwide in over 120 countries. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on Spike TV, the MMA television leader. Bellator MMA is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live event orchestration, fighter development/relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. Bellator is based in Santa Monica, California and owned by entertainment giant Viacom, home to the world’s premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences through compelling content across television, motion picture, online and mobile platforms.

About Spike TV:
Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos.

LOS ANGELES (March 4) – EXTRA host and longtime boxing fan Mario Lopez will join Golden Boy Promotions’ monthly LA Fight Club at The Belasco Theater, adding even more star wattage to the popular series, which premieres this Friday night.

“As awesome as it is to see boxing’s established champions step into the ring, the future of boxing depends on its young and upcoming stars,” Lopez said. “LA Fight Club will help the fans get to know the champions of the future, and Golden Boy Promotions and Oscar De La Hoya deserve a ton of credit for their commitment to boxing not just today, but for years and decades to come.”

Lopez will join play-by-play announcer Brian Custer, color commentator Paulie Malignaggi and ringside reporter Jessica Rosales on FOX Sports 1.

“I have sat next to Mario at fights all over the country, and I can tell you first hand that there may be no bigger fan of boxing,” said Golden Boy Promotions Founder and President Oscar De La Hoya. “We are thrilled to have him join us for Friday’s exciting launch of LA Fight Club and look forward to working together for years to come.”

Headlining the night, undefeated super bantamweight prospect and 2012 U.S. Olympian Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz Jr. (14-0, 9 KOs) is scheduled for 10-rounds against Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico’s Juan Luis “Perla Negra” Hernandez (17-4-1, 9 KOs).

Los Angeles’ Christian “Chimpa” Gonzalez (8-0, 8 KOs) will be featured as the night’s co-main event against Julio Cesar Sarinana of Phoenix (3-2-1) in a six-round super featherweight bout. Homegrown talent Roy “Pitbull” Tapia (10-0-1, 5 KOs) of Los Angeles will fight in a six-round super bantamweight bout against southpaw Ali Gonzalez (6-5, 1 KO) of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. Also, Cesar “The Great” Quiñonez (1-0, 1 KO), Fernando Varga’s promising prospect, will have his second professional bout against newcomer Oscar Rojas (0-1) of Salinas, Calif. in a four-round super lightweight bout. Finally, super bantamweight prospect Emilio Sanchez (6-0, 5 KOs) will face Puerto Rico’s Luis Cosme (8-5-1, 3 KOs) in the opening bout of the night.

Santiago “El Lobito” Guevara (8-0, 3 KOs) of Los Angeles will face Carlos Morales (6-1-3, KOs) in a six-round super featherweight televised opening bout. Irish standout Jason Quigley (3-0) will square off against Lanny Dardar (2-2-2, 1 KO) in a middleweight bout. Also, Jesus Delgado of Los Angeles (3-0-1, 1 KOs) will compete in a four-round fight against Rocco Espinoza (4-11) of Las Vegas in the non-televised portion of the night.

LA FIGHT CLUB: Diaz vs. Hernandez is a 10-round super bantamweight bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Mexico – Live It To Believe It!. Doors open at 5:00 p.m., and the first bout begins at 5:30 p.m. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.belascous.com, www.FOXSports.com/FOXSports1, www.FOXDeportes.com, follow on twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @FoxSports, @FoxSports1, @FoxDeportes, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/ TheBelascoLA, www.facebook.com/FOXDeportes, visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing and @belascola and follow the conversation using #LAFIGHTCLUB.

Miami, FL: On March 14 Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev (26-0-1, 23 KOs) will compete in his first title defense as Unified WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion against former lineal light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal (29-2-1, 17 KOs) in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Kovalev completed the first half of his preparations in Big Bear Lake, CA then moved to Miami, FL where he is finishing training camp with his trainer, John David Jackson.

Coming off of his big win against Bernard Hopkins on November 8, some expected Kovalev to take on an easier opponent than Jean Pascal, a former champion who has never been knocked down in his pro career. Sergey, however, does not look for easy fights. He prefers a challenge. When asked what makes Pascal a dangerous opponent, Sergey said, “His power and crazy style of boxing.” Sergey is also excited to return to Quebec, where he knocked out Ismayl Sillakh in his first WBO Light Heavyweight World Championship defense in 2013. He said, “I’m very glad to fight in Canada again because I like Canadian fans and country too. Canada remember me of Russian winter weather.”

Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev
Photo credits: Jose A Pineda/Main Events

This fight against Pascal will be a different test for Kovalev than Hopkins. According to Jackson, “Pascal is more of a herky-jerky type of fighter. Bernard was smoother in his approach. He was also more calculating in his risk. Pascal takes his chances because he punches without really looking at his target. He presents a different problem in the ring but it really isn’t a big problem as long as Sergey sticks to the task at hand. He needs to box him and set traps for Pascal to get caught in. Pascal throws punches with his head down and he is not even looking at his opponent. He is a little more surprising than Bernard; he can throw punches from any angle in hopes of landing that shot to hurt you.”

In the first real test of his championship reign, Krusher pulled off a stellar unanimous decision victory over Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins in Atlantic City in November of 2014 and added the WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Championship belts to his collection. Although Kovalev dethroned a ring legend, he was very humble about the victory. He said, “My life didn’t change after the Hopkins fight. I just got responsible for defending more titles now!” Sergey refuses to look back, adding, “I already forgot about Hopkins. I have to focus on this fight. It’s already past. Now I need to go forward.”

Photo credits: Jose A Pineda/Main Events

Going forward means providing for his growing family. Shortly before the fight with Hopkins, Sergey’s wife, Natalia, gave birth to their first child, Aleksandr. Sergey was not present at the birth of his son and did not meet him until he returned home after the Hopkins fight. For this training camp, he is separated from his young child again but, according to John David Jackson’s assistant trainer, Derik Santos, “Sergey always says this is a sacrifice, but it is for his family.”

Jackson added, “Now that Sergey is a father I think it is harder for him to be away from his family for training camp. He is a brand new father, this is his first child, and that weighs on him a little bit. He is a professional, however, and he is able to separate his feelings from the task at hand. He knows he needs to concentrate on camp. It may be tough on him but he doesn’t let it show. He just goes about his business of getting ready for this fight.”

Now that he is the unified champion, there are more demands on his time and additional scrutiny, but the Krusher is not fazed. According to John, “Slowly but surely it is beginning to sink in that he is a super star fighter. He is still humble to a degree where a lot of that stuff doesn’t bother him. He is not an attention whore and he doesn’t need all that attention on him like a lot of other fighters would.”

About Kovalev vs. Pascal
Kovalev vs. Pascal is a 12-round fight for the WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Championship Titles. The fight will be televised as part of a live triple header on HBO World Championship Boxing® Saturday, March 14 from the Centre Bell in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Tickets are on sale now at the Centre Bell ticket office, at www.evenko.ca, by telephone at 1-855-310-2525 or through Club de Boxe Champion 514-376-0980. This event is a co-promotion of Main Events and InterBox, presented by Vidéotron in association with Mise-O-Jeu.

Greatest Hits: Sergey Kovalev (HBO Boxing)
Greatest Hits: Sergey Kovalev (HBO Boxing)

Road to Kovalev-Pascal (Full Show)
Road to Kovalev-Pascal
(Full Show)

WCB: Kovalev vs. Pascal Preview (HBO Boxing)
WCB: Kovalev vs. Pascal Preview (HBO Boxing)

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NEW YORK, March 4, 2015 – HBO Sports has entered into new multi-year agreements with Jim Lampley and Max Kellerman, who are the primary voices for its HBO Boxing franchises. Both announcers will continue to serve on multiple HBO Boxing platforms, including “World Championship Boxing®,” “HBO Boxing After Dark®” and HBO Pay-Per-View®. The agreements were announced today by Rick Bernstein, senior vice president and executive producer, HBO Sports.

“For more than two decades, Jim has been the signature voice of HBO Boxing,” said Bernstein. “Jim’s incomparable knowledge of the sport of boxing and his work on our many boxing programming initiatives, along with his own boxing studio program (‘The Fight Game with Jim Lampley’), have made him universally recognized as the best in the sport and the captain of our boxing coverage. We’re thrilled Jim will continue to bring his high journalistic standards and talents to the HBO audience for many years to come.”

A four-time Sports Emmy® Award winner, Lampley will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, NY on June 14.

Starting with his first HBO presentation, the “World Championship Boxing” fight between Mike Tyson and Tony Tubbs from Tokyo on March 20, 1988, Lampley has been at the helm for some of the most dramatic moments in HBO Boxing history.

“I am delighted and grateful for the chance to continue my richly rewarding relationship with the number-one network in television,” said Lampley. “In sports as in entertainment, HBO presents the greatest of all opportunities to report complex truth, and there are no sports truths more profound and complex than those illuminated by boxing.”

Max Kellerman joined HBO Sports in 2005 as a co-host on pay-per-view telecasts and quickly developed a smooth and unique repertoire and interview style. Kellerman began working as a ringside commentator and interviewer on HBO’s “Boxing After Dark” series in 2006 and eventually assumed a leading role for “World Championship Boxing,” “HBO Boxing After Dark” and HBO Pay-Per-View events. In addition, Kellerman became the host of the acclaimed “Face-Off” feature series in 2010.

“Max has been an invaluable asset to the HBO Boxing franchise since joining us ten years ago,” said Bernstein. “His passion, instincts and historical knowledge all play a key role in making our broadcasts impactful.”

“The privilege of calling the best fights in the sport is second only to working alongside all of the extraordinary people in the HBO family,” said Kellerman.

Lampley and Kellerman return to HBO on Saturday, March 14 when they call the “World Championship Boxing” tripleheader from Montreal’s Bell Centre, headlined by the 2015 debut of undefeated light heavyweight champ Sergey Kovalev as he meets the formidable Jean Pascal (9:45 p.m. ET/PT).

Lampley and Kellerman are represented by Nick Khan of CAA and Michael Price of Price Management.

Hialeah Park will be back in the international spotlight when ESPN’s Thursday Night Fights return to this iconic venue with an action-packed evening of championship professional boxing on March 26 starting at 6 PM ET.

The star-studded fight card, which will be broadcast live in the United States and in key Latin markets on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes, is expected to include the Lightweight debut of reigning IBF Super-Featherweight champion Rances “Kid Blast” Barthelemy, who is 21-0 with 12 knockouts.

Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing, co-promoters of the event with Hialeah Park, confirms that the card will feature a ten-round welterweight affair between Breidis “El Khanqueror” Prescott (27-6, 20 KOs) of Colombia and Fredrick “General Okunka” Lawson (23-0, 20 KOs) of Ghana.

“This will be a key fight for Prescott,” Margules related. “He’s 31, now. He’s won three fights but dropped two since the start of 2012, so he’s pretty much in a must-win situation if he wants to remain relevant in his division.”

Prescott, now fighting out of Miami, won the first 21 fights of his professional career before losing back-to-back outings in late 2009.
Lawson is six years younger at 25. He’s won three different vacant regional title bouts since December of 2012, most recently the vacant IBF International Welterweight title in July of 2013.

“Lawson didn’t fight in the United States until he re-located to Chicago last year,” Margules noted. “He’s a solid pro who doesn’t need friendly surroundings to win. He’s won in Minnesota and California since coming to America.”

Two undefeated Cuban heavyweight fighters will battle on the card. Yasmany “El Tiburon” Consuegra has a record of 16-0 with 14 knockouts, most in the early rounds. Consuegra has not had to wait for the scorecards to be tallied since winning a four-round bout 5 years ago in only his third lifetime fight. Robert Alfonso is 4-0 in his young career.

Tickets for ESPN’s Thursday Night Fights, also billed as “Noche De Combates,” are on sale now through Ticket Force (www.myticketforce.com), www.hialeahpark.com, and at the Hialeah Park Casino cage.

# # #

About Warriors Boxing

Launched in 2003, Warriors Boxing operates under a simple philosophy-bring the best boxers in the world to fight fans, match them in competitive bouts, and in doing so help re-establish the sport of boxing for a new generation.

With a series of successful Pay-Per-View shows and packed houses to its credit, the Warriors business model is working wonders in a sport that was sorely in need of the innovation and energy that the company brings to the table.

When it comes down to it though, a promotional company is only as good as the fighters and fights it promotes. Warriors Boxing has delivered on all fronts, with outstanding bouts such as Lara-Molina, Cayo-Peterson, Abraham-Miranda I and II, Miranda-Pavlik, Miranda-Green, Ibragimov-Briggs, Ibragimov-Klitschko, Urango-Hatton, Urango-Bailey, Cayo-Maidana and Ibragimov-Holyfield.

For more information on Warriors Boxing, visit their website at www.WarriorsBoxing.com.

PROVIDENCE (March 4, 2015) – Undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior middleweight champion Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade (21-0, 14 KOs) has challenged World Boxing Association titlist Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara (20-2-2, 12 KOs) to a unification title fight in April or May.

Andrade, the 2008 U.S. Olympian and 2007 World Amateur Championships gold medalist, and three-time Cuban National amateur champion Lara have traded barbs through the media this week.

Andrade says Lara has been running from him, while Lara claimed he’s not worried about fighting the gifted New Englander, calling him a “spoiled brat”.

In a statement, Lara said Andrade turned down an ESPN2 fight with him and that he “whooped that ass for free in the amateurs.” Lara also questioned who, in comparison, Andrade has fought. He also said Andrade pulled out of the biggest fight of his career against Lara’s stablemate, Jermell Charlo, implying that Andrade reneged on a signed contract.

For the record, Lara defeated Andrade in the 2007 Pan-Am Qualifier, 9-4, in a match held in Venezuela, however, Andrade’s manager Ed Farris was quick to add, “First of all, when did Lara ever whoop Demetrius’ ass? Does Lara mean in the amateurs when he ran away from him for three rounds? Their five-year age difference was significant in the amateurs because Demetrius was still a teenager and, even then, Lara needed overseas judges to steal that decision. Lara landed something like nine total punches during the entire fight. If that’s an ass kicking, well, count us in!”

Farris also added that the fight between Lara and Andrade should be easy to make. “Only a few days ago,” Farris noted, “Lara mentioned that he was willing to fight Demetrius in the past for only $15,000. So, I’m sure HBO or Showtime will gladly accommodate his request.”

Andrade captured the vacant WBO title November 9, 2013 by way of a 12-round decision over previously unbeaten Vanes Martirosyan (33-0-1), the same fighter Lara struggled with in a nine-round draw. Andrade’s most recent fight was last June in his first title defense against mandatory challenger Brian Rose (25-1-1), in which Andrade looked sensational in a seventh-round knockout of the Brit.

Point-by-point, Andrade countered Lara’s erroneous allegations and unsubstantiated claims. “When was this imaginary fight offer two years ago on ESPN,” Andrade asked rhetorically. “You and I both know that never happened, Lara. I sure as hell never saw any offer to fight Lara on ESPN. Who have I fought? I only need to mention one name: I beat Vanes Martirosyan, the guy Lara couldn’t beat! Lara was lucky enough to get a draw because he RAN around the ring for the first half of the fight instead of fighting. But, hey, that’s what Lara does. Just ask ‘Canelo’ (Alvarez) and boxing fans who watched their fight.

“Lara said anytime, anywhere. How about April or May if he needs more time to hit the track and get extra laps in? One more thing, Lara, I have NEVER walked away from a signed contract. EVER! You probably never stopped running around long enough to even know that. The only contract I ever signed to fight Charlo was a month ago and Charlo declined. Lara said I signed a contract to fight Charlo before that. If he can show me an agreement that I signed to fight Charlo on December 13th, I promise to stop calling him out. Lara, you can run – everybody knows you do — but you can’t hide. We have unfinished business to take care of.”

Lara’s powerful adviser, Al Haymon, has a slew of television dates, including April 18 on Showtime in Carson, California. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. faces Andrjej Fonfara in the main event but a co-main event hasn’t been announced.

“Lara will not be able to handle Demetrius’ size and strength,” Farris remarked, “and sooner or later Demetrius will catch him. The only time Lara stood and fought, he got his ass handed to him by (Alfredo) Angulo. The ONLY reason he got out of that fight alive is because Angulo suffered an eye injury at the end. Otherwise, Lara was headed to the canvas again for a third time and anyone that saw that fight knows it.”

Follow Demetrius Andrade on Twitter @BooBooBoxing.

The March 6 edition of ESPN Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra and ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates presentado por Corona Extra will feature undefeated up-and-coming junior middleweight Tony “Superbad” Harrison (19-0, 16 KOs) and veteran “The Truth” Antwone Smith (23-5-1, 12 KOs) in the 10-round junior middleweight main event. Friday’s show will air live at 11 p.m. ET on ESPN2, broadband Spanish-language ESPN Deportes+ and WatchESPN. ESPN Deportes will televise Friday’s fights on Saturday, March 7, at 8 p.m. The card is presented by Warriors Boxing. The fights will take place at the famed MGM Grand in Las Vegas which is the site of this weekend’s debut of the Premier Boxing Champions series headlined by Adrien Broner vs. John Molina and Keith Thurman vs. Robert Guerrero.

Commentators:
Todd Grisham will be ringside with analyst Teddy Atlas describing the action for ESPN2, while Pablo Viruega and Delvin Rodríguez will call the fights for Noche de Combates (Fight Night) on both ESPN Deportes and ESPN Deportes+. Leopoldo González and Claudia Trejos will anchor the ESPN Deportes studio on site and will be joined by Hall-of-Fame boxing referee and analyst Joe Cortez. Bilingual reporter Bernardo Osuna (@osunaespn) will present live interviews and reports for both shows. In addition, ESPN.com boxing writer Dan Rafael will join the ESPN2 telecast to discuss Friday’s fights and the much anticipated welterweight title unification mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Read Rafael’s full story on how Mayweather-Pacquiao was made.

Main Event:
The undefeated Harrison, who is from Detroit, is coming off a first-round TKO win over Tyrone Brunson.

“He’s (Smith) a tough opponent,” Harrison said. “He’s fought contenders and champions…It’s my time. It’s time to put Detroit back in the position that it once was in and it starts with this, to give us the recognition we deserve…This is the one for everybody who’s never seen Tony Harrison fight. This is the one to watch.”

Smith, of Miami, is looking to get back to his winning ways after a second-round KO loss to Jermall Charlo.

“I’m sure he’s (Harrison) probably going to blitz early, because he usually knocks everybody out in the first or second round,” Smith said. “He’s only been eight rounds one time. After I get out of the blitz, I plan to do steady work. I know what 10 rounds feels like.”

Co-Feature:
Friday’s 10-round co-feature will pit undefeated middleweight Ievgen “The Ukrainian Lion” Khytrov (8-0, 8 KOs) against Jorge “Destroyer” Melendez (28-4-1, 26 KOs). In his last bout, New York’s Khytrov scored a third-round KO win over previously undefeated Maurice Louishomme, while Puerto Rico’s Melendez is looking to rebound from a majority decision loss to Javier Francisco Maciel.

Additional Fights:
Friday’s show will also include an eight-round bout between undefeated junior middleweights Erickson Lubin (9-0, 6 KOs) and Kenneth Council (8-0, 6 KOs) and a six-round middleweight bout between undefeated Caleb Plant (6-0, 4 KOs) and Daniel Henry (2-2-2, 0 KOs).

Upcoming Schedule:
Date
Time (ET)
Main Event
Location
Networks
Fri, Mar 6
11 p.m.
Tony Harrison (19-0, 16 KOs) vs. Antwone Smith (23-5-1, 12 KOs) — 10 rounds, Jr. Middleweights
MGM Grand Ballroom, Las Vegas
ESPN2, ESPN Deportes+, WatchESPN
Thurs, Mar 26
9 p.m.
Breidis Prescott (27-6, 20 KOs) vs. Fredrick Lawson (23-0, 20 KOs) — 10 rounds, Welterweights
Hialeah Park Racing & Casino,
Hialeah, Fla.
ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN
Fri, Apr 3
9 p.m.
TBD
Omega Products Center, Corona, Calif.
ESPN2, ESPN Deportes+, WatchESPN
Fri, Apr 10
9 p.m.
Boxcino 2015 Semifinals: 8 rounds each

Heavyweights:

Andrey Fedosov (26-3, 21 KOs) vs. Lenroy Thomas (19-3, 9 KOs)

Razvan Cojanu (13-1, 7 KOs) vs. Donovan Dennis (11-1, 9 KOs)

Jr. Middleweights:

Brandon Adams (16-1, 11 KOs) vs. Vito Gasparyan (15-3-5, 8 KOs)

Stanyslav Skorokhod (9-0, 7 KOs) vs. John Thompson (15-1, 5 KOs)
Sands Hotel & Casino, Bethlehem, PA
ESPN2, ESPN Deportes+, WatchESPN
*Schedule subject to change

Friday Night Fights and Noche de Combates Social Media:
· Follow ESPN Friday Night Fights’ Nigel Collins on Twitter @ESPNFNF or like ESPN Friday Night Fights on Facebook.

· Score the fights round-by-round with the “Live Friday Night Fights Facebook Voting App,” an application on the ESPN FNF Facebook page that allows viewers to score the fight round-by-round.

· Follow ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates on Twitter @ESPNBoxeo.

· For the latest ESPN.com boxing news and analysis follow @ESPNBoxing.

Top Rank, in association with Bash Boxing, Art of Boxing Promotions, and the Glendale Civic Auditorium in Glendale, California, brings Solo Boxeo Tecate on Unimas back to the “Jewel City” on Saturday, March 14, 2015 at 7:00pm.

Following up two sold out events in August and December, GLENDALE FIGHT NIGHT VII will once again feature prospects from the Top Rank stable as well as some of the Los Angeles area’s most promising pugilists in what is sure to be another capacity crowd at the Glendale Civic Auditorium.

Two exciting 8 round Super Featherweight bouts will be part of the televised broadcast of the Solo Boxeo Tecate series live on Unimas, as undefeated prospect Toka Khan Clary (14-0, 9KOs) takes on perennial spoiler Edwin “Tiburon” Solis (6-2-3, 4KOs) out of Pomona, California, and Sylmar, California’s Sergio “Tarasco” Nunez (12-1-1, 8KOs) faces off against Angel “Humilde” Rodriguez (11-1, 5KOs).

A highly decorated U.S. amateur standout, Rhode Island’s Toka Khan Clary has been blazing through the professional ranks despite just being 22 years of age. The fighter known as “T-Nice” possesses a perfect combination of speed, skill, and heart – the ingredients of yet another future World Champion for Top Rank. Standing in Clary’s way will be his biggest professional challenge to date in the tenacious and unbending Edwin Solis, who has gained a reputation as one of the toughest “outs” in the Super Featherweight division. Solis is no stranger to putting blemishes on the faces of his opponents and their records as he has gone undefeated (3 wins, 3 draws) since September of 2012 despite the combined records of his past six opponents being (57-8-5).

After traveling south of the border for his last 6 bouts in Mexico, Sylmar’s Sergio “Tarasco” Nunez will welcome the short drive down the Interstate 5 Freeway for his March 14th feature bout at GLENDALE FIGHT NIGHT. Nunez is a decorated amateur who made his professional debut at 18 and is also a boxing coach at American Fight Factory, one of San Fernando Valley’s largest Martial Arts gyms. As with most prospects appearing on GLENDALE FIGHT NIGHT, Nunez will also be facing one of the toughest challenges in his professional career as he meets Venezuela’s Angel “Humilde” Rodriguez
(11-1, 5KOs). Rodriguez will be making is U.S debut after campaigning his entire career in Mexico.

After witnessing 2012 London Olympics Silver Medalist Esquiva Falcoa perform twice in Glendale, local fight fans attending Glendale Fight Night VII now be treated to Olympic Gold as Russia’s Egor Mekhontsev, the 2012 London Olympics Gold Medalist in the Light Heavyweight Division, will appear on the card. Since turning professional in 2013, Mekohnstev has gone undefeated in 7 bouts with 6 of those bouts ending by knockout. Consistent with the theme of GLENDALE FIGHT NIGHT VII, Mekhontsev will be facing his toughest professional challenge to date as he faces off against Two-Time World Champion Challenger and former USBA and NABA Champion, Yusef Mack (31-8-2)

Rounding out the undercard will be the return of El Monte’s undefeated Welterweight Arnold Barboza Jr. (5-0), Duarte’s undefeated Super Featherweight Luis Sedano (4-0), Santa Ana’s Filipino sensation Gloferson Ortizo (2-0-1), Corona’s Ray Mena (1-0-1), and the return of Freddie Roach protégé, Cem Kilic (2-0).

GLENDALE FIGHT NIGHT VII, takes place on Saturday, March 14, 2015 at the Glendale Civic Auditorium, located at 1401 North Verdugo Road in Glendale, California.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.glendalefightnight.com or by calling
(626) 388-8888.

Tickets start at $40 for General Admission and $60 for Reserved Open Seating. A limited number of front row seats and VIP tables for 4 (with beer or wine service included) are also available.

Doors Open at 6:30pm; First Bout at 7:00pm. All bouts are subject to change.

Isaac Chilemba
[On his shorter training camp] First of all, I thank God for this opportunity. I am fighting on HBO and it is a dream come true. When I am back home, I always keep in shape so training in the United States is just a tune up for me before the fight. I am really looking forward to next week.

[On his game plan for Lepikhin] I am always ready for anything. We prepare for anything that might possibly happen in the ring. Lepikhin is a good fighter. He has good movement. He has a good jab. That is what training is there for. I don’t see anything to cause a problem in the fight. We will deal with what he brings us.

[On whether the close decisions he lost in the past have added pressure] I have learned from my close decisions in the past. My goal is not to give any opponent a chance that it could be close call again. I want to win every round from beginning to end. I don’t want to give any second thought as to whether or not I win the fight.

[What was his favorite win?] I value all my fights. Every win means a lot to me. They are all equal.

[On his dreams as a child in Malawi] My dream from the beginning has been to be the best in the world and to be best in my division. People talk about Muhammed Ali and Joe Frazier; I wanted to be like them. This is my dream coming true. I am getting closer. The closer I get to my dream the more I want to be one of the greatest in the world.

[On his toughest fight so far in his career] [Tony] Bellew was my hardest fight in my career. I defeated myself. I didn’t know who I was, what I was or what I was doing; I continued to fight with myself. I never thought that would happen in my life. It was a big learning point for me. I have to make sure I am mentally in good shape for this fight. I am always make sure I am in good shape physically.

[On fighting in the deeper rounds] My 12 rounds fights have taught me a lot. I don’t know how Lepikhin is prepared and whether he is tough enough to go the distance but I have been there. I always push myself to the max because I just want that win.

[On fighting in the United States and Canada] Here in America is the mecca of boxing. It is every African fighters dream to fight in America and get an American promoter. I am living that dream.

[On who he would like to fight next] My goal is to fight anyone who is on top. I think even the loser of Kovalev-Pascal will still be ranked higher up. I would love to fight the winner or [Adonis] Stevenson because I am ranked #2, even if I have to wait for that opportunity I know I am getting closer to the champ.

Vasily Lepikhin
[On Chilemba] First of all I am very happy to be fighting on HBO. It is all going to depend on the situation what will happen. I am going to do my work. I am not going to aim for anything. I am trying to win the fight.

[On his mental preparation] Chilemba is a better known fighter than me and this gives me more motivation. I want to show everyone I am a very good fighter and show the fans more good boxing. It is always important for me to look good in any fight and make fans like me. It doesn’t matter who else is there I am motivated for my fight with Chilemba.

[On pressure to secure the knockout] Basically, it really doesn’t matter to me if I am going to knockout my opponent or win by points. Most important to me is to win. I just want to show my boxing skills to the fans.

[On never going past ten rounds in his professional career] I am ready for all 12 rounds of this fight. I have already been 10 rounds and I don’t think two more rounds is much of a difference.

Egis Klimas, Manager of Vasily Lepikhin
[On following in Kovalev’s footsteps] Today every fighter would love to follow Sergey’s Kovalev’s footsteps, but probably nobody could do it. Nobody can follow [Floyd] Mayweather or [Mike] Tyson’s or Roy Jones, Jr.’s careers either. Every fighter is different. Every fighter dreams of fighting for the title and becoming world champion. Vasily is trying and wants to make his mark.

[On Chilemba] Isaac is a good fighter. He has been around for a long time. He has beaten good fighters but we are not worried about the other fighter. We worry about what we are going to do on March 14.

[On Lepikhin’s nickname “The Professor”] When he was fighting in his first professional fight, the promoter said he was very smart in the ring like a professor of boxing and that is where he got his nickname.

[On his struggles in his last fight] Jackson Junior is a good fighter but he wasn’t 100% healthy for that fight. He got very, very sick when he first arrived in Pennsylvania. There was deliberation about whether or not he was going to fight. I wasn’t there because I was with Sergey in Atlantic City [for the Hopkins fight] and his trainer decided he was going to take the fight. It isn’t an excuse. He travelled to the United States earlier for this fight so hopefully he won’t get sick in Canada.

Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events
In this fight we have two light heavyweights here who are in their primes. We know welterweights have ruled boxing for the past ten years or so, but I think their time is coming to an end. I think light heavyweights are the future. This is a great fight with two terrific fighters and nobody can predict the outcome. I am excited to present this fight with my co-promoters from Canada, Interbox.

Congratulations are also owed to [Main Events’ matchmaker] Jolene Mizzone for putting together this amazing card. She has been working very hard with Interbox to put on an amazing show.

[On what is next for the winner] The winner clearly moves up in the rankings. It probably does not get them a title shot because the winner of Kovalev-Pascal is obligated to fight [Nadjib] Mohammedi and there is the WBC mandatory fight with [Adonis] Stevenson also in the mix. The winner, and the loser, will still be in the mix in the division though. First they have to fight each other. We are going to learn more about each of them from this fight. Nobody can predict the winner. Sergey presents great challenges to everyone. Our job is not only to promote Sergey Kovalev but to think about a future. We need to think about potential opponents for him. Both of these young men could end up fighting him in the future. Because both of them are with Main Events it will make this fight difficult for me to watch but great for the fans.

[On the possibility of more collaboration with Interbox] It has been a pleasure working with Interbox and hope to continue the relationship in the future.

[On fighting for the NABF belt even though neither fighter is from North America] Both their promoters are from North America and they both train here.

[On the light heavyweight division now that PBC has signed more fighters in the division] [Lucian] Bute has an obligation to fight Pascal next. I take the long view of things. I have seen people come and go and try to change the boxing industry. Golden Boy [Promotions] was the only up-and-comer to become a player. It is too far away to know what will happen in a year or so. The WBC has ordered [Adonis] Stevenson to fight the winner of Kovalev-Pascal next.

Jean Bedard, President of Interbox
[Statement from Bedard, who was unable to participate in the call] It is very important for us to offer our fans a quality product on March 14th and the addition to the card of a boxer with such enormous potential such as Vasily Lepikhin in a match against a world-rated contender is as exciting as it is strategic. We are also very happy to be able to further build on our relationship with Main Events moving forward past March 14th.

About Kovalev vs. Pascal
Kovalev vs. Pascal is a 12-round fight for the WBO, WBA and IBF Light Heavyweight World Championship Titles. The fight will be televised as part of a live triple header on HBO World Championship Boxing® Saturday, March 14 from the Centre Bell in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Tickets are on sale now at the Centre Bell ticket office, at www.evenko.ca, by telephone at 1-855-310-2525 or through Club de Boxe Champion 514-376-0980. This event is a co-promotion of Main Events and InterBox, presented by Vidéotron in association with Mise-O-Jeu.

Melbourne, Australia – The UFC® today applauded the State of Victoria Labor Government for executing a ministerial directive designed to increase safety within the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) by allowing the sport to be conducted in a much safer fenced-in enclosure. The directive was announced this morning at a press conference held by The Honourable John Eren, Minister for Sport, Tourism and Major Events. “This is a major milestone for mixed martial arts in Victoria, which will allow the sport to flourish while at the same time better protecting its competing athletes,” said Tom Wright, UFC Executive Vice-President and General Manager, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

Prior to the passing of today’s ministerial directive, MMA competitions in the State of Victoria were required to be conducted in boxing rings which were never designed for MMA competitions. The UFC uses a unique, octagon-shaped enclosure which prevents fighters from falling out of the structure or becoming entangled in the ropes as could occur with a boxing ring. “The Octagon® is purpose-built for MMA competition and was designed and developed to optimize safety and to create a level playing field. The UFC thanks the Labor Party for spearheading this initiative and focusing on the safety of the competitors,” added Wright.

With this new ministerial directive in place, the UFC confirmed that it will bring a global pay per view event, UFC 193, to Melbourne on Sunday, November 15, 2015 locally, to be broadcast live in North America on Saturday, November 14.

Since 2010, the UFC has hosted six live events in Australia with each experiencing tremendous success. Collectively, the six events have seen more than 75,000 fans in attendance and millions worldwide watching on Pay-Per-View and broadcast television. The three host cities to date – Sydney, Gold Coast and Brisbane – have had a cumulative gross gate of more than $12 million and millions more in economic impact. The UFC will host its seventh Australian event, UFC® FIGHT NIGHTTM: MIOCIC vs. HUNT, at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on May 10.

For more information or current fight news, visit ufc.com.

Quotes from some of Australia’s top mixed martial artists

No.5 ranked UFC heavyweight Mark Hunt (10-9-1, fighting out of Sydney)
“Just like a jockey needs a horse or a tennis player needs a racquet or a V8 driver needs a car – mixed martial artists, UFC fighters need the Octagon®. It’s our tool for competition – to make competition fair and safe. I’m excited that the UFC can now come to Melbourne and trust me, I want to be there competing to make sporting history.”

Robert Whittaker (13-4, fighting out of Sydney)
“This progress in Melbourne is an amazing opportunity for the Australian MMA community. The UFC is already bringing more events to Australia and this new destination opens up more opportunities for aspiring mixed martial artists. As a MMA fighter myself, it would be an honour and privilege to compete in Melbourne and make history!”

Vik Grujic (7-5, fighting out of Melbourne)
“MMA in Melbourne will no longer fall behind the rest of the world because of ignorance.”

Kyle Noke (fighting out of Albuquerque, USA via Dubbo, Australia)
“We now finally get the chance to fight in front of a home crowd in the sporting capital of Australia. This is a dream come true for me and the rest of the UFC competitors representing Australia around the world.”

Daniel Kelly (9-0 fighting out of Melbourne)
“It’s only fitting to have the fastest growing sport in the world in the sporting capital of Australia. Personally it would be a dream to compete in the UFC in my hometown.”

Brendan O’Reilly (5-1-1, fighting out of Brisbane)
“This is a momentous occasion for the sport of MMA in Victoria, Australia and the growth of the UFC worldwide. Melbourne has some of the most passionate sports fans in the world, and I can’t wait to fight in the UFC Octagon® in front of a live Victorian audience.”

Soa Palelei (22-4, fighting out of Perth)
“Being able to fight in the UFC is a dream come true. Being able to compete in Australia is the icing on the cake. I’m extremely proud to be Australian and being able to do what I love for my country is truly gratifying. With Melbourne now able to host the UFC, I can see MMA growing immensely and I cannot wait till Perth also gets on board.”

Richie Vaculik (10-4, fighting out Sydney)
“So good to hear that finally the Victorian government has come to its senses and allowed MMA to be performed in its safest environment: the Octagon®. I can’t wait to be a part of a spectacular UFC event in Melbourne.”

Alex Chambers (4-2, fighting out of Sydney)
“Fantastic news that the ban will no longer remain in Victoria for MMA bouts inside a fenced-in enclosure. There was a big misconception about what was actually banned, which I feel has hindered MMA in Australia although the sport was always legal. A really great day for all MMA athletes and fans, not just in Victoria but all of Australia”

About UFC®
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, UFC® is the premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization and largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Singapore and Sao Paulo, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell-out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe. UFC programming is broadcast in 129 countries to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide in 28 different languages. In Australia, the UFC has broadcast agreements with FOXTEL and MAIN EVENT, which includes live events broadcasts, The Ultimate Fighter® reality television show and thousands of hours of programming. In 2014, UFC launched UFC FIGHT PASS®, a digital subscription service with exclusive live events, thousands of fights on-demand and original content. The UFC organization also licenses over 100 UFC GYM® locations, and owns UFC.TV® (offering live event broadcasts and video on-demand around the world), UFC FIT™ (an in-home fitness and nutrition program), UFC Magazine, and has a videogame franchise with EA SPORTS, UFC Fight Club®, UFC Fan Expo®, UFC branded apparel, DVDs and Blu-rays and Topps Trading Cards. For more information, visit au.ufc.com and follow UFC on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/UFC, on Twitter @UFC_AUSNZ and Instagram @UFC.

Providence, RI (March 3, 2015)–The following is a response to WBA Super Welterweight champion Erislandy Lara from Paul Andrade, the father/trainer of undefeated WBO Jr. Middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade:

Dear Mr. Erislandy Lara:

In response to your comments, whoever wrote your response should get their facts correct.

When we listen to you, we see the final triumph of stupidity in this world. You are the only boxer that successfully brainwashed himself with false facts.

We were never in our life offered a fight on ESPN 2 to fight you. In fact, when I met you in that restaurant in New York, we even said that Demetrius would let his career develop and fight you for much more meaningful amount than $15,000. When was the last time you fought for $15,000? And you agreed with me.

Now the time is here for us to get together but all you talk about is a meaningless fight in a foreign country that you by just four points when Demetrius was just 17 and you were 21. On top of that, you know when an American goes to a foreign country his opponent always gets an extra five points. We saw it at the Pan Am Games, in the Olympics and whenever we have fought on foreign soil.

After seeing Demetrius talent level, you decided going to the Olympics would have been a failed effort and decided to turn pro.

As we all know, many times guys who have been beaten by an individual in the amateurs come back and open up a can of whoop ass when they fight as professionals.

I see you posted your long list of accomplishments, we all are fighters in development when we start but you claim we have not fought anybody and you have.

The only opponent that we have in common is Vanes Martirosyan. We have the utmost respect for him and the best you can do was pull out a draw. I guess you were happy that headbutt occurred because Vanes was on his way to knocking you out. Then comes Angulo. The moment he trapped you, he dropped you twice and again then you escaped because of a lucky thumb that swelled up Angulo’s eye. How many times will luck be on your side?

Now it is time for you to man up and take the challenge. Forget the cheap talk, do you want to get it on? Yes or No? A real man and a real champion would answer yes.

Sincerely,

Paul Andrade

PORTLAND, OR – (March 3, 2015) Laila Ali, who in the early and middle years of the new century, was the acknowledged “face” of Women’s boxing during what will likely be remembered as the final flourishing time for the sport in the United States, will enter the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame as part of the 2015 class. Ali will be joined by other “modern era” boxers, Laura Serrano, Jeannine Garside, Ann Wolfe, Deirdre Gogarty and Terri Moss along with NYSAC referee Sparkle Lee and Phyllis Kugler (posthumous), a pioneer boxer in the 1950s. The induction ceremony will be held on Saturday, July 11 in the Crystal Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six in Fort Lauderdale, FL (3:00-6:30 PM). Similar to the 2014 ceremony, this year’s induction will be conducted in conjunction with the National Women’s Golden Gloves tournament.

http://www.wbanmedia.com/iwbhf/picts/zzzlaila-ali2iwbhf380.jpg

“I’m honored to be recognized for induction into the Hall of Fame.” That’s Laila Ali, late last week, on the phone from her California home, speaking about her inclusion in the IWBHF’s second class. “I’m especially pleased that this recognition comes from my peers and is indicative of what they think of me, particularly those boxers who worked so hard and long beside me during a time when we took the sport of Women’s boxing to the levels we achieved.” It was during those “levels we achieved” that the Women’s boxing reached peaks of fan interest and media coverage, with Ali as the centerpiece, that would be welcomed, unconditionally, by the sport today but which, however, seem to be consigned to history.

The perception of Laila Ali changed markedly following her tenth professional fight, a June 2001 win over Jacqui Frazier Lyde in upstate New York. The eight round bout far exceeded the expectations of many boxing “experts” who foresaw an over-hyped exhibition by two “boxing daughters.” Today, Ali continues to view the bout with some regret, “I had a fever that night, but the furthest thing from my mind was dropping out. Although I won I had been hoping for a KO, but Jacqui fought tough that night. Following the bout I was out for a year rehabbing an injury and there continued to be a great clamor for a return bout. Instead I came back with a decision over Shirvelle Williams (June 2002). Looking back, I should have taken Jacqui again, that was a mistake.

Two months later, Ali won her first title (IBA super middleweight) with a two round TKO of Suzie Taylor. “It was an easier bout than I thought it would be and next was Valerie Mahfood, along with two more belts (WIBA and IWBF super middleweight)”. Ali was beginning her ascendance to the top of the sport and she was not just winning each bout, she was outclassing each opponent. “Honestly, and I don’t mean this disparagingly because I respected each of my opponents, but they were simply not at my skill level.” Beginning with the Taylor fight and ending in February 2007 with a first round TKO of Gwendolyn O’Neil, Lalia Ali completed her 24 bout professional career with 13 straight wins, all KOs. Asked about any difficult opponents over her career, the name that surfaced several times during our talk was that of Kendra Lenhart, “she was as tough as they came; big, strong, with punching power. Lenhart hit me as hard as I was hit in the ring. She could punch, but, fortunately, I had the boxing skills to beat by decision (October 2000).

Given that Ali, in 2007, seemed to be at the peak of her skills while maintaining a dominant position at the top of the middleweight division, if not the entire sport of Women’s boxing, why did she retire? “I was at a point where I felt there was little, if anything, left for me to achieve. In my next to last fight (November 2006), I fought in the Garden (Shelley Burton) which was, obviously, very meaningful for me in an number of ways and, yet, I came away from the bout (TKO 4) feeling it was just not competitive. I knew it and probably the fans knew it. I didn’t want to keep going through those type of bouts because I trained very hard for every fight and the return on that type of hard work just wasn’t there.”

What about Ann Wolfe? Ali’s reply is quick, direct and forceful, noticeable even over a phone line from a continent away, “So much has been written about that and the fact is that I tried to make that bout, but it was always something from the other side that would come up and make agreement impossible. And then when the bout didn’t happen, all the talk would begin about how I was afraid to get in the ring with Wolfe. Does anyone, honestly believe I was ever afraid to get in the ring with a female boxer? After a while, it just wasn’t worth going through all the nonsense. But, I’ll be honest, it bothered me then, it bothers me now and, at one point, I seriously considered coming out of retirement to make the fight, just to end it for once and for all.”

Asked whether she has any interest in a future connection with the sport of boxing, Ali, once more shoots out an answer straight from the shoulder, like a perfect left jab, “I’ve had quite a few opportunities over the years to manage, train, promote in the sport. But, honestly, I really have a difficult time recommending boxing to young athletes, particularly females. They look at my career and the success I had in the ring and assume I’ve got some secret formula for how to get to the top. They have no idea just how hard it is in a sport where a fighter is completely on her own. There’s no player’s association or a union in boxing to protect the fighters and far too many of those a boxer comes into contact with are simply trying to figure how much money they can make off the fighter. I received an education in that end of the sport following my divorce from my first husband and manager when I was forced to get involved with promoters, matchmakers and all the various others associated with putting together my bouts. It was an exhausting process and after all that I still had to go out and fight. If I find a girl who really seems determined to give the sport and honest try, of course, I’ll give her some advice. But, believe me, that advice won’t be any fairy tale version of what it’s like to succeed in a sport where it’s particularly hard to make a good living, especially for a woman.

Therein lies the essence of Laila Ali: ask her a question, you get an answer; not a politically correct, nuanced or parsed answer, but a “here’s what I think, because it’s what I know to be true” answer. It’s the way Laila Ali has always done “business” in and out of the ring, straight forward, do the work and what’s next.

“To fit into an appropriate place” is the dictionary definition of the word “belong”. The word applies comfortably to the eight women who will be inducted into the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame in July, just as it did to the seven women who were so honored in the initial class last year. But it seems to me that maybe, just maybe, that definition applies with just a slight bit more resonance to Laila Ali. The boxing ring, given her heritage, was a particularly appropriate setting and she not only fit but excelled to a level that has seldom been equaled and may never be surpassed. As for the IWBHF, in a word, Laila Ali belongs.

For more information contact: (Tickets to go on sale soon….and will be available on the IWBHF.com and WBAN.com sites)

Brooklyn, NY (March 3, 2015)–Salita’s Promotions is excited to announce another future star has been added to their roster.

Now opponents who will be getting in the ring with Bakhtiyar Eyubov, they might not be so excited, because the prospect is by all accounts a power hitter.

Eyubov, 5-0 as a professional, with five knockous to his credit, comes from Kazakhstan, the same homeland as middleweight superstar Gennady Golovkin. Like Golovkin, Eyubov looks to remove the judges from the equation. Indeed, he gets going from the opening bell, as four of his five KOs have come in round one.

With over 150 wins in the amateurs, a vast majority by KO, it is clear that his style will fit into the pros quite well, and Salita is excited to let New York City-area sweet science fans check him out in the near future.

Eyubov has already enjoyed a reputation as a fearsome banger, so he’s had to agree to fights from 147 pounds all the way up to light heavyweight, 175 pounds, to entice foes to glove up with him. The 28-year-old hitter is summed up thusly by promoter Salita: “He is an aggressive body puncher and aims to get the KO every time. Eyubov has an exciting style and he is very hungry to climb to the top and be a world champion.”

Eyubov will be managed by Wilson Naranjo, who manages ex champion Luis Collazo and world-rated contender Raphael Vasquez.

Salita will soon announce his next professional fight card, and when we can see the talents of the prospect Eyubov for ourselves.